Stars shine as Palatine hangs on against Conant
In a game with the conference championship on the line, you want to see great performances from the best players.
With the Mid-Suburban League West title in Palatine's grasp, the host Pirates and Conant Cougars showed the world that they have two of the best football players in the area, leading both teams into next week's playoffs.
Palatine quarterback Zach Oles scored 3 touchdowns and gained 287 yards on 36 carries, leading the Pirates to a 34-29 victory that clinched the West Division title.
The win didn't come easily. Conant senior Jake Jakubosky cemented his regular season rushing championship with a 44-carry, 343-yard, 4-touchdown performance and nearly scored what would have been the go-ahead fifth touchdown in waning minutes of the game. His regular season total of 1,384 was the area's best.
"We're banged up, but a lot of guys stepped up tonight," Palatine coach Rick Splitt said. "I'm very proud of this group. They come to work and play hard every day."
The Pirates (7-2, 4-1) had no answer on defense for Jakubosky. So, they kept the Cougar offense off the field by eating up huge chunks of yardage and time off the clock behind the running of Oles.
Yet in a night of offensive stars, perhaps the biggest play came when the middle of the Palatine defense stopped Jakubosky on fourth-and-goal from the 1 inside the three-minute mark.
"You don't have time to think, you just make plays," said linebacker Mikey Williams. "We had a lot of guys step up and make plays."
From Conant's perspective, the loss was heartbreaking. They finish with a 6-3 record, 2-3 in the West.
"It's a shame when we get to the 1 and couldn't get it in; it's tragic," said Conant coach Bill Modelski. "With the rain, we became a one-dimensional team. It's a good thing that was working."
Palatine scored a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, a 3-yard run by Oles and Javone Stricker's 3-yard run. Later in the first half, the Pirates would lose Stricker for the rest of the game with an ankle injury.
Jakubosky ran it in from 19 yards out cut the margin to 14-6 with 11:32 left in the first half, but Palatine came right back to score on Josh Turner's 25-yard run two minutes later.
A 1-yard run by Jakubosky cut the lead to 21-14 with 5:32 left in the half, and Stricker was hurt while returning the ensuing kickoff.
Oles drove the Pirates 69 yards in 11 plays to give them a 28-14 lead with 1:23 left in the half.
Conant was able to get a couple of defensive stops in the second half and cut the lead to 28-22 after forcing Palatine's first punt of the day and then driving 52 yards for a 2-yard scoring run by Jakubosky.
Just when it looked like Conant had seized the momentum, Oles grabbed it back with a 65-yard scoring burst on the first play after the kickoff. Once he burst through the middle, it was a footrace to the goal line for the last 30 yards.
"I surprised myself," Oles said. "My goal was not to run straight or I might get caught."
The 34-22 lead looked safe until Alex DeFrancesco recovered an Oles fumble on the Pirate 30. Six plays later Jakubosky scored on a 14-yard run cutting the lead to 34-39 with 8:43 remaining.
Rain and 3 interceptions held down Conant's passing game. Dylan Tapia intercepted Kyle Bradley twice, the final pick ending Conant's last-gasp effort with 1:12 left in the game.
"Wherever he looked, we were going to go there," Tapia said. "Our scout team made us ready for this week."