Palatine erupts for 62 points, rolls past Schaumburg

Twenty-seven seconds.

That was how long it took two football teams that couldn’t score a point last week to produce two touchdowns Friday night.

Schaumburg senior Vincent Heydecker returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Palatine sophomore Christian Marley promptly answered, taking the ensuing kickoff 90 yards the other way.

Match game.

Seven-all, at 11:33 of the first quarter on a crisp night.

“The game certainly started with fireworks,” Schaumburg coach Mark Stilling said. “I’d never seen that before.”

There would be considerably more.

Palatine, shut out 31-0 by Barrington a week earlier, erupted for nine touchdowns and defeated Schaumburg 62-33 in a wild Mid-Suburban League West game at Gary Scholz Stadium.

The Pirates improved to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the MSL West. Schaumburg, blanked 13-0 by Hoffman Estates last week, fell to 1-6, 0-3.

Ninety-five points.

Basketball numbers on a football night.

So much for last week.

Senior quarterback Brandon Martino completed 10 of 15 passes for 180 yards and five touchdowns for Palatine, which led 28-21 at halftime before scoring 20 unanswered points in the third quarter.

Senior receiver/defensive back Jayden Evans was everywhere. He rushed four times for 73 yards, caught three passes for 61 yards, scored twice and intercepted a pass near midfield before returning it to the Schaumburg 7.

“One of our vocal leaders,” Palatine coach Chad Bobbit said.

Junior Eliaz Egbe supplied another defensive jolt, recovering a botched backward pass after making two tackles for loss. Evans scored on an 11-yard run moments later for a 34-21 lead.

Pirates junior Chase Klipowicz rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown and caught a 40-yard scoring pass. Brennan Wright and Jordan Kurey also caught touchdown passes from Martino, while reserve Justin Colgan scored on a 1-yard run.

Schaumburg kept swinging.

Vincent Heydecker rushed for 101 yards and scored three touchdowns, Xavier Tudela broke a 71-yard run, and sophomore Mason Heydecker capped the scoring with a 55-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Ryland Davanon threw a touchdown pass to Colton Felgenhauer.

“We battled for 30 minutes, and then attrition got us,” Stilling said, referring to injuries in previous games and several more Friday night.

Palatine’s seniors had held a players-only meeting the day after the Barrington loss. Their goal Friday?

Score at least 35.

They nearly doubled the ask.

“We knew it was up to us,” Evans said. “Our coaches were all doing their jobs.

“We had to come together and talk.”

Bobbit wasn’t surprised.

“I’m so proud of our seniors,” he said. “They care so much about the young players on this team. Our seniors — they’re so team-first, so selfless. It’s an honor to coach them.”