Grayslake North trumps Woodstock
Not often do you see a card game break out during a football game.
This, however, this was exactly the case at Woodstock High School on Friday night.
Grayslake North’s coaching staff used giant playing card images and held them up for their players to see which plays to run.
After a slow start, the Knights re-shuffled the deck and came away with a 49-21 victory over the host Blue Streaks in a Fox Valley Fox divisional matchup.
Trailing 14-7 in the second quarter, Grayslake North’s (4-2 overall, 3-0 in Fox division) defense forced two Woodstock fumbles on consecutive series and converted the turnovers into 14 points. Quarterback A.J. Fish found Charlie Pine on a 13-yard score to tie the game at 14. Then Fish ran for a 7-yard touchdown on a fourth and 1 to give the Knights the lead for the first time.
“We started off really slow,” said Fish who had 4 total touchdowns. “I don’t think we were really prepared (at the start) and then the second quarter, we just snapped out of it.”
On the opening drive of the second half, David Collins (17 carries, 145 yards) went to work and accounted for 77 yards on their 86-yard drive which was capped by a 1-yard plunge by Fish.
“As soon as our line got going, it gave everyone the kick start we needed and everyone responded very well, said Collins. “The slots and the wide receivers gave him very nice blocks and I just read them and ran.”
Collins later scored a 7-yard touchdown of his own to give the Knights a comfortable cushion after Adam Xiong blocked a Woodstock punt and returned it deep in Woodstock territory.
“He’s a heck of a player,” Collins said of Xiong. “It is fun to watch him perform and I really enjoy playing with him.”
“We responded really well,” said Grayslake head coach Steve Wood. “We came out slow again in the first quarter. We put up a ton of points in the second half. I am really happy about where we finished, but I am not real happy with how we started.”
Woodstock quarterback Tyler Purkey threw for 137 yards and a touchdown. Alex Boyle led the Blue Streaks (0-6 overall, 0-4 in Fox Divison) with 57 yards rushing.