Hersey's patience is rewarded

Friday night's Mid-Suburban East finale between Hersey and Wheeling came down to which team best handled what Mother Nature threw at it.

In the end, it was Hersey that emerged from a mud-soaked Roland Goins Stadium with a hard-fought 12-8 victory over the Wildcats, snapping a 12-game losing streak to pick up their first win of the season.

The Huskies (1-8, 1-4) slid through the mud as they ran off the field to celebrate their success, which coach Mark Gunther credited to his team's ability to handle the ball through the relentless rain.

"We should never play a game in this element," he said. "It's a shame two teams had to play in something like this. It's fun maybe once in your life. But you don't want to play in this. It takes everything out we practiced all summer to work on stuff, and all we did tonight was catch and run. It's a different game. But it sure is good to win.

"It's been a long time coming. We've faced a lot of adversity. The kids played with class, courage, and they played their hearts out every game. It's great to get rewarded and send the seniors off with a win."

Wheeling (2-7, 0-5) managed to get on the scoreboard first with an 18-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tyler Brady in the second quarter. The Huskies, meanwhile, managed only a safety in the first half.

But junior Chris Polinski stepped up in a big way for Hersey, scampering for a 17-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave the Huskies the only lead they'd need. Joey McGrane provided some insurance with a 23-yard field goal.

Wheeling had plenty of time to work with during its final drive, but the conditions made any effort to move the ball through the air futile.

Polinski, who ran for a game-high 69 yards, said the difficult playing conditions only made the win that much more satisfying.

"Words don't even describe it," he said. "It's unbelievable. We needed this. To finish off the season, we needed this."