Marchese sparks Conant playoff victory against Dundee-Crown

The Conant seniors made their stand early in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s opening-round Class 8A playoff game against visiting Dundee-Crown.

It became a decisive stand that propelled Conant to a hard-fought 21-12 win at Feutz Field that sends it into a first-round game next weekend at No. 10 Homewood-Flossmoor next weekend.

“It wasn't pretty. Dundee-Crown played their (tails) off. They're a good team. Their coaching staff does a great job,” Cougars coach Anthony Donatucci said of the Hoffman Estates school's first postseason triumph since 2013. “We made a lot of mistakes on our own that made the game different, but it's a win and I'm happy for these kids.”

Conant senior quarterback and defensive back Tyler Marchese began the turnaround by forcing a Dundee-Crown fumble at the Cougars six-yard line. He promptly recovered the fumble and took it to the 10-yard line with 10:53 left.

“I saw that the ball was coming out so I ripped it out,” Marchese said. “I wished I hadn't gone down at the 10.”

From there he guided Conant on an 11-play, 90-yard scoring march that featured fellow senior Anthony Burns rushing for 67 of his team-high 127 yards. He scored the backbreaker, a 15-yard touchdown run behind the blocking of an offensive line led by three-year starter Nicolas Portilla Palos.

“We were having troubles on some drives, but the line was able to block and we were able to score,” Marchese said of the game-clinching drive that included a 12-yard pass to younger brother Troy, a sophomore, on a third and 12 at the Chargers 36 that kept the drive alive.

For Portilla Palos, it was an opportunity to let it sink in after being a member of Conant squads that went 0-9 and 3-6 the previous two seasons.

“We put in the work. It made us lock in. The culture has completely changed since then. Honestly, it's an amazing feeling,” Portilla Palos said.

The Chargers (3-7) got an amazing evening from sophomore Tyrese Lemon, who caught three Isaac Grzynkowicz passes for 100 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown.

He also rushed for a game-high 134 yards on just five carries that included a 54-yard scoring jaunt in the third that brought them within 14-12 with 8:22 left in the third quarter.

Chargers coach Mike Steinhaus spoke to his players of taking pride of the program's first postseason appearance since 2013.

“Our kids fight hard and showed what kind of team we can be,” Steinhaus said. “Our 22 seniors set a legacy for us to keep working. I know people talk down on the new playoff format, but a school like ours got to feel what playoff football is.”