Turner helps Warren past Lake Zurich
It wasn't like Warren senior linebacker Nick Turner had a premonition.
But he did have a general feeling he'd make a big play for the Blue Devils defense in Warren's final home game of the regular season against Lake Zurich.
"I told my coach to send me on a blitz and I will make a play," Turner said. "I promised the same thing against Lake Forest two weeks ago and I knocked the ball out."
With 1:52 left in regulation and Lake Zurich holding a 17-14 advantage, the Warren coaches took the advice of their defensive captain and sent him on the blitz he asked for.
As he broke through the line the snap sailed over the head of Lake Zurich quarterback Joey Lindstorm and scooted across the turf finally coming to a stop at the six yard line. A scrum between the Warren and Lake Zurich players ensued and Turner came up with the ball.
But it wasn't over yet.
Moving the ball on the Lake Zurich defense had been a challenge and it took Warren four plays to finally punch it in. On fourth and goal from the one, junior running back Darrius Crump scampered in for the touchdown with 44.5 seconds left.
Crump's second score of the night lifted the Devils to a 21-17 win over Lake Zurich putting Warren into the playoffs for the second year in a row.
It marked the first time Warren had defeated Lake Zurich since 2008 and keeps the Blue Devils hopes alive for a share of the North Suburban Conference Lake Division crown at 6-2, 4-1 in league play.
Warren closes the regular season at Zion-Benton next week.
Lake Zurich fell to 4-4 overall, 3-3 in league play and will need a win at Vernon Hills next week to become playoff eligible. "We talked about a team like Lake Zurich being winners and they definitely are," Warren coach Bryan McNulty said. "I think our kids are winners too. We showed it tonight and we showed it against Lake Forest. These kids are unbelievable."
To get the win, Warren rode the legs of Crump on offense and the transfer from Carmel did what he has done throughout the 2014 season.
Crump carried the ball a season-high 32 times for 240 yards and a pair of scores including the game winner. But it was his 43-yard scoring run with 2:24 left in the third quarter that gave the hosts the lead for the first time at 14-10.
"I thought Darrius really ran tough after first contact tonight," McNulty said. "Not that he doesn't normally, but he was extra tough to bring down tonight and usually we go a few carries with him and a few for VaShaun (Wright), but tonight Darrius was just on fire."
Lake Zurich took the lead right back from Warren on a tremendous defensive play from junior Jeremy Brown.
With the Blue Devils trying to run the clock down, Brown stepped in front of a Jay Nickell pass.
He returned his second pick of the night 47 yards to the Warren 2-yard line. On the next play Ben Klett hit the end zone for the second time on the night and the Bears had a 17-14 advantage with 8:37 left.
"You are going to have ups and downs in life," Lake Zurich coach Dave Proffitt said. "Now what are you going to do when you get knocked down? Do you stay there or do you get up and that's where you see the fighter. My prediction is we will come back from this."
The Bears had one final chance after the Warren score.
After Klett returned the ensuing kick to the Warren 43, Lindstrom got the Bears inside the Warren 30, but was intercepted by Warren junior Jose Carrasco with 11.4 seconds left to end it.