Prospect takes down Elk Grove in OT

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:22PM

Steve Dazzo and Grant DaPalma helped Prospect beat host Elk Grove 42-41 in overtime Friday.

Dazzo connected with Sam Frasco in overtime and Jimmy Ott nailed the kick to put Prospect (7-1, 4-0) up 42-35.

Nick Meyer scored his sixth touchdown of the game for Elk Grove (6-2, 3-1). But his conversion pass to Eddie Stahl was incomplete giving Prospect the inside track on the Mid Suburban East title.

Playing without top running back Peter Bonahoom, who was sidelined with a left shin injury, Dazzo and DaPalma picked up the offensive slack.

"It was a crazy, crazy game," said Dazzo, who rushed for 150 yards and passed for 172 yards.

"It was the most fun I ever had. We just tried to keep scoring."

"It was a great finish," said DaPalma, who rushed for 140 yards on 23 carries. "I didn't know I would be starting until just before the game."

Elk Grove was in complete control early, running 33 plays to Prospect's 15 while building a 14-0 lead.

The Grinders went 49 yards on 15 plays to take a 6-0 lead on a quarterback sneak by Meyer with 10:16 left in the first half.

It became 14-0 when Meyer scrambled for a 4-yard touchdown run and then threw to Eddie Stahl with 6:41 left in the half.

Prospect finally found its offense ads the Knights pieced together a seven-play, 71-yard drive. Grant DePalma scored on a 25-yard burst to make it 14-7 with 3:53 left in the half.

With less than a minute left in the half and the ball at their own 20, Prospect appeared to be satisfied to run out the clock.

But after a pair of runs netted 27 yards and a quick pass moved the ball to the Elk Grove 31 with 9.2 seconds left. A Prospect penalty moved the ball back five yards and then Steve Dazzo found Sam Frasco in the back of the zone with one-tenth of a second left to close to 14-13.

Prospect continued its offensive prowess to start the second half. The Knights marched 77 yards in 16 plays with Dazzo scoring on a two-yard run to make it 20-14 with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

Meyer came right back for Elk Grove. He scampered 61 yards on the first play from scrimmage as the Grinders regained the lead 21-20.

Undaunted, Prospect rallied behind Dazzo to take a 28-21 lead. Dazzo scored on a 25-yard run and added a conversion run.

DaPalma made it 35-21 with just over four minutes to play.

Meyer (26 of 40, 278 yards) then rallied Elk Grove, scoring on an eight-yard run to make it 35-28 with 2:17 to play. He tied the game on the last play of the game on a quarterback sneak as he drove the Grenedier 50 yards in the final 1:20.

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