Grant's Zdon runs for 168 yards, game-winning score
Tyler Zdon saw the hole and took it.
The sophomore running back ran 33 times for 168 yards and the winning touchdown in Grant's 21-14 victory over Glenbrook North on Friday in Glenview.
"We're on the 2-yard line, I just knew I had to put it in," Zdon said of his plunge between left guard Austin Smith and center Jack Hembrey with 1:15 left in the nonconference game.
"I just knew where to go. I just thought it in my head. A hole opened up and I just went right through it," Zdon said.
Glenbrook North still finagled two more possessions. The Spartans stuffed Grant's fourth-and-1 conversion attempt at the Bulldogs' own 24-yard line with 40 seconds to play.
Glenbrook North quarterback Jack Philbin gave it a go, but Grant's Vincent Hurst finally sealed the win with an interception at his own 2-yard line.
"His motor never stops and he's the ultimate competitor. Having the ball in his hands always gives you a chance to be successful," Glenbrook North coach Matt Purdy said of Philbin, who ran for 98 yards with a 12-yard touchdown run.
"We had a hard time finding an answer for (Philbin)," said Grant coach Tim Norwood. "I think he was probably the best athlete on the field and luckily we did enough to contain him."
Grant (1-1) held only a 7-0 halftime lead despite being in Spartans territory for much of it. Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Gipson's 27-yard run and Ayden Sheppard's kick gave Grant the lead. The Bulldogs scored on an apparent safety off a muffed punt, but it was nullified by a penalty.
As much of a taffy pull the first half was, the second started like a track meet. Grant's Anthony Koza handled the kickoff at his 4-yard line and cruised the left sideline with a Bulldogs escort for a 96-yard touchdown return that earned a 14-0 lead.
Glenbrook North (1-1) tied it up by scoring on two consecutive possession, of 10 and 13 plays.
Philbin and Trey Gottschild did the work on the first scoring possession with Philbin cutting behind left tackle Mathew Gasior on a 12-yard touchdown run to trim Grant's led to 14-7 at 5:05 of the third quarter.
The scrambler then got help from Ryan Lee, who cut inside right tackle Landon Lauter on a 1-yard touchdown run to tie 14-14 at 7:36 of the fourth quarter.
"These close games are the ones we need to win if we want to make the playoffs this year," Lauter said.
Grant countered with the game-winning drive, unshaken by the stadium lights going off with 4:33 left to play.
Having already broken a 30-yard run, once the lights returned Zdon added a 19-yard draw to help set up his game winning touchdown.
"We told our offense, our defense carried us in the beginning, you've got to finish it," Norwood said. "They scored when they had to."