OT defeat a heartbreaker for Trojans
Cary-Grove seemed to be in total control.
With 4:49 remaining, the Trojans held a 20-6 win over Chicago De La Salle. Then disaster struck for Cary-Grove.
No. 6 seed DeLaSalle scored 14 straight points to send the game into overtime and then outscored the No. 3 seeded Trojans 7-6 in the extra session to pull out a 27-26 win in a second round game of the Class 7A playoffs at Al Bohrer Field in Cary Saturday night.
"We were in total control then we made some key mistakes and couldn't close the game out," said Cary-Grove coach Bruce Kay. "Then, the momentum changed and they made plays. They had a lot of great athletes and were an outstanding team."
De La Salle (9-2) will play Carmel in the quarterfinals next week.
The Trojans (9-2) grabbed a two-touchdown lead, 20-6, when quarterback A.J. Hoger scooted untouched 54 yards for a score with 9:31 left in the game.
But, the Meteors didn't quit. De La Salle scored with 4:49 remaining when Tom Lally connected with Frank Trevino for 24 yards and a touchdown to pull the Meteors within 7 at 20-13.
De La Salle tied the game with 1:31 left when Lally connected with Elliott Brown for a 42-yard touchdown. Brown caught the ball in between two Cary-Grove defenders. The extra point kick by Juan Gonzalez sent the game into overtime.
In the extra session, Cordero Gaston gave De La Salle the lead when he reached paydirt from 7 yards out. The all-important extra point from Gonzalez gave the Meteors a 7-point advantage.
Cary-Grove countered with a 2-yard run by Eric Chandler. The extra point kick by Marcus Kerrigan, who earlier kicked field goals of 27 and 42 yards, missed wide right and the Trojans' season came to an abrupt half.
"Without Marcus we don't get to overtime," said Kay. "He erased our mistakes with his two field goals. He is an outstanding kicker. There is no good way to lose. This is a very tough way to lose. I am extremely proud of our seniors. They did a great job."
The Meteors got great performances from Lally, Brown and Gaston.
Lally completed 12 of 15 passes for 183 yards and 2 fourth quarter touchdowns. Brown caught 8 passes for 109 yards and a score while Gaston rushed 18 times for 100 yards and 2 scores.
"We didn't quit when we got behind and there wasn't any sense of panic," said DeLaSalle coach Dan O'Keefe. "Everybody on our sidelines thought we would come back. It was a heavyweight bout and we came out on top. Cary-Grove has an awesome team and an awesome program. They are like a machine. They get ahead and run that double dive. They are a very effective team. This is a great win for us."
Hoger ended his career with 148 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown.
Chandler, a sophomore, carried the ball 24 times for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"We fought hard tonight," said Cary-Grove offensive tackle Mike Yocius. "We just didn't prevail. It is a tough one to lose."