Prospect outlasts Elk Grove in OT

It's hard to focus in on one thing from Friday night's contest between Prospect and Elk Grove.

When the score is 42-41 every play seems important.

The Knights were victorious, taking overtime to achieve the feat, and with each recollection of the game another superb story emerges.

There's Prospect (7-1, 4-0) quarterback Steve Dazzo orchestrating an 80-yard drive in the final 34 seconds of the first half, which culminated in a 36-yard diving touchdown reception by receiver Sam Frasco with 0.1 seconds left, to cut Elk Grove's lead to 14-13.

Then there's Grenadiers quarterback Nick Meyer fighting his way into the end zone from a yard out with the final seconds ticking away to get within a Matt Brandt extra point of overtime a kick Brandt made. The score capped a 14-point Elk Grove comeback in the final 3:24.

In overtime Frasco made another splendid diving grab along the back of the end zone from 13 yards out, and then Meyer answered with his sixth rushing touchdown of the night a 9-yard score.

Elk Grove (6-2, 3-1) tried a 2-point conversion instead of opting for a second overtime, but Meyer's pass fell incomplete. Prospect rushed the field to celebrate at least a share of its eighth MSL division title as soon as the referee signaled incomplete.

"It was just an awesome game. It was so much fun," Dazzo said. "The offense started out slow, but everyone was picking each other up. It was just so much fun out there. It was crazy."

With all the craziness of the game's end it's hard to believe not a single point was scored in the first quarter by either team, and that Prospect was outplayed in the first half in the eyes of coach Brent Pearlman.

"To go into halftime at 14-13, I thought we were pretty fortunate, actually," Pearlman said.

In the second half Prospect's run game pounded out yardage and ground down the clock. In the third quarter Elk Grove ran just one offensive play, which was a 61-yard touchdown run by Meyer, compared to 24 plays for the Knights.

"We figured out what they were doing and figured out how to block it," Prospect running back Grant DePalma said. "We were kind of on edge with what they were doing at first. We figured it out and we just rolled with it."

DePalma and Dazzo were the only Knights to carry the ball in the game as standout Peter Bonahoom was limited to two punts and a play on an Elk Grove onside kick because of an ankle injury.

"That's really our game style and we got away from it in the beginning," Dazzo said of Prospect's ground attack. "They were doing some stuff that we had to make adjustments to, but it was more the mental aspect. We made the adjustments but the bigger adjustment was mental. Picking each other up, supporting each other and fighting for each other is what made the difference."

Elk Grove coach Brian Doll said he knew he would go for the 2-point conversion once the game extended to overtime, and that the team had a play it liked in that situation. Doll said he'd take his chances with an athlete like Meyer from 3 yards away.

"He can create so much time for himself with the athleticism," Doll said. "We felt good and it was all set up for us. We felt we had played in overtime and been there before. We felt good about it."