Hersey answers ‘wake-up call,’ recovers from 1st deficit this season to oust Glenbard West
Jake Nawrot and Hersey took a slow start and then sped to a huge victory Saturday in Arlington Heights.
The Huskies fell behind 7-0 early, but then rallied behind the arm and legs of Nawrot to post a 31-21 over Glenbard West in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs.
No. 2 Hersey (11-0) will play at No. 23 Lincoln-Way West (8-4) next weekend in the quarterfinals. Lincoln-Way West beat St. Laurence 21-14 in overtime to advance.
“That’s what happens when you play a really good team,” Hersey coach Tom Nelson said. “They are a physical bunch. But this was a good step for our program to battle a team like that that wants to shove the ball down your throat. And our kids were up for the fight.”
Nawrot, who is committed to Kentucky, had another spectacular game. He had three first half touchdown passes and ran 43 yards for another score to erase his team’s first deficit of the season.
“I am have been dreaming about this stuff my whole life,” said Nawrot, who was 23 of 28 passing for 271 yards and three touchdowns.
“I never get sick of it. It got a little closer at the end. But we played smart football and ran the ball well. It was a great testament to our offensive line.”
Glenbard West (7-4) got off to great start. The Hilltoppers forced Hersey on a rare three-and-out as the Huskies punted for only the second time this season.
Glenbard West then mounted a long scoring drive, marching 61 yards in 12 plays as Ace Harris capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
But it is nearly impossible to keep Nawrot down.
He quickly drove his team for consecutive scores. Nawrot threw eight yards on the first touchdown to Jackson Travis and then 12 yards to Kye Parker Stevenson to make it 14-7 early in the second quarter.
“It was kind of a wake-up call for us,” Nawrot said. “That situation made us better. We ended up scoring on our next four possessions.”
Glenbard West quarterback AJ Rayford went 80 yards on the first play after the kickoff, eluding a pair of Hersey players by the goal line to tie the game at 14-14.
Nawrot then showed his scrambling abilities. After being chased from the pocket, he raced 43 yards down the far sideline to put his team up 21-14. He then drove his team 65 yards in the final 1:45 of the half, throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to Josh Riggs to make it 28-14.
In the second half, Hersey’s Jack Mau added a 36-yard field goal after the Huskies had a touchdown negated by an offensive pass Interference penalty. That put Hersey up 31-14 late in the third quarter.
Rayford (eight carries, 161 yards) helped the Hilltoppers cut the lead to 31-21 when he broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
Hersey had an opportunity to put the game away in the fourth quarter when the Huskies drove to the Glenbard West 7-yard-line. But a fourth-down pass in the end zone was dropped.
With new life, the Hilltoppers moved quickly to the Hersey 2-yard line. But the Huskies put up a huge goal line stand thanks to Ryan Haefke, Drew Sather, Ryne Sather, Johnny LaMonica and Spiro Zarafonitis, stopping Glenbard West on four consecutive plays.
“People say that we haven’t been tested,” Haefke said. “They didn’t score. I think this was really a good test to show how we can stop the run.”
Hersey ran off the final 5:11 thanks to the Travis (21 carries, 126 yards). The junior ran the ball nine consecutive plays and Nawrot closed out the game taking a long sack to run out the final seven seconds.
“I have been doing this for 33 years and I don’t think I have even seen a better quarterback,” Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet said. “We’re not going to be satisfied with the way we played. But our kids fought their tails off.”