Wauconda comes up empty in quarterfinal trip to Sycamore

For the football program at Wauconda High, Saturday's Class 5A quarterfinal trip to Sycamore had been over 30 years in the making.

Actually, 34 years to be exact.

On Nov. 14, 1992, the Bulldogs made their only other foray this deep into IHSA postseason play, losing to Oswego in the Class 4A bracket.

Unfortunately for Wauconda, it met a similar fate. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs dropped a 42-7 decision to the Spartans on Saturday to finish their season at 9-3.

Ninth-seeded Sycamore (9-4) moves on to a semifinal date next Saturday with No. 6 Cary-Grove (10-2), a 55-36 home winner over No. 18 St. Francis (7-6).

After a pair of touchdown runs by Spartans junior runner Dylan Curtis put them up 14-0 with 35 seconds left in the first quarter, Wauconda do-it-all senior Luke Sickmeir took the ensuing kickoff back the other way 91 yards to pull the Bulldogs within 14-7 at quarter's end.

However, the Spartans regained the upper hand in the second period with a two-yard Dalton Fahrlander TD jaunt that made it 21-7 with 7:45 left before halftime.

The game's breaking point came after a defensive stop gave the Bulldogs possession of the ball at their own 38 with 48 seconds left in the first half.

Spartans safety Jackson MacDonald forced a fumble, and the ball was scooped by defensive lineman Will Rosenow at the Bulldogs 35. He took it 22 yards to the Wauconda 13-yard line. Curtis took it in from the two-yard line six plays later to put the home team ahead 28-7 at the break.

“He came off the edge so fast and knocked the quarterback so hard (the ball) came out and allowed me to scoop it," Rosenow said of his sudden fortune.

Wauconda coach Chris Prostka agreed with the play's impact.

“The biggest moment of the game, but we were still in it," Prostka said. “They scored with three seconds left in the half and that was hurtful."

A 23-yard touchdown toss from Chaz Wright to Alex Law in the third quarter followed by Ben Anderson's 49-yard TD jaunt in the fourth closed the scoring for the Spartans.

For Sickmeir and his 15 senior teammates, there was a special feeling of accomplishment for the program’s deep postseason run.

“It was cool to still be playing. To see people stepping up, doing multiple things on the field (while) making plays. Just seeing them (was) a lot of fun," Sickmeir said.

Prostka seconded that sentiment.

“The no-quit in them whatsoever that obviously showed in the playoffs. I can't say enough of them," he added.