Overtime unkind to Neuqua Valley
Neuqua Valley made a valid statement Friday as a team to be reckoned with.
Michael Banks had the last word, though. His 10-yard touchdown run in overtime gave No. 3 seed Mt. Carmel a 21-14 second-round Class 8A playoff victory in Naperville.
The 5-foot-7 senior took a pitch around right end on the first play in overtime, cutting in off the downfield block of receiver Frank Kelly.
Nikko Rodriguez's kick capped a 14-point rally for Mt. Carmel (9-2). Trailing the 11th-seeded Wildcats 14-7 with 6:15 left to play, Caravan quarterback Chris Sujka finished a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run at 1:11 of the fourth quarter.
“We ran that play at the end of regulation, the same play that Chris scored,” said Banks, whose touchdown run gave him 107 yards on 21 carries. “We knew it was open. Both guys were coming down on Chris and the pitch was wide open. I just took it and accelerated.”
Neuqua Valley (7-4) was still stuck on the 10-yard line after its first three plays in overtime. The Wildcats' season ended when on fourth down quarterback Jeff Samuel threw to tight end Dan Menendez on a flag route toward the right corner of the end zone. Menendez went down, the ball fell incomplete, Mt. Carmel's bench erupted.
“I got tripped up, and two of the guys were holding the back of my jersey,” Menendez said. “They were pulling on it, and I was disappointed, I thought I was going to get the pass interference. But everything goes for a reason.”
That may be difficult for Neuqua to find. The Wildcats matched up well in their first game against the powerful Caravan, which reaches its seventh straight quarterfinal. No. 2 seed Lyons Twp. (10-1) plays Mt. Carmel after beating Sandburg 21-20.
“Coming into this game we were supposed to lose by 14 points. I think that gave us the most incentive because, you know what, I don't ever want to be underestimated,” said tailback Trent Snyder, who carried 31 times for 131 yards with a 1-yard touchdown run that put Neuqua on the board first.
Three plays after Snyder went horizontal over left guard Austin Hock, Sujka busted an option keeper 70 yards to tie 7-7 at 5:02 of the first quarter.
Each team missed first-half field-goal attempts, and the next score waited until the first play of the fourth quarter. Neuqua's T.J. Rhattigan ran 1 yard off left tackle Jordan Young. Ryan Mulhern converted the kick for a 14-7 Wildcats lead.
“That game was ours,” said Wildcats coach Bryan Wells. “We outplayed them the whole stinking football game, and it upsets me. I'm not upset at my kids I mean, I love those kids. This is a fantastic group, and I'm sorry that this is the last time I'm going to be on the football field with them.”