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Stevenson scores late, pulls upset over Lake Zurich
Updated: October 6, 2011 10:15PM
Matt Micucci figured he might have to win Thursday night’s game, but Kevin Foley beat him to the punch.
Foley powered his way into the end zone from three yards out with 23 seconds left, giving Stevenson a 24-17 North Suburban Lake win over No. 12 Lake Zurich in Lincolnshire.
Micucci, who doubles as Stevenson’s quarterback and kicker, booted a 42-yard field goal earlier in the game and thought he might get another chance on the Patriots’ final drive. That possession started at the Stevenson three-yard line after the Patriots blocked what would have been a go-ahead field goal by Lake Zurich’s Mike Leiva with 4:33 remaining.
Stevenson (5-2, 3-1) got to the Lake Zurich 43 when Foley took over, going 17 and 18 yards on successive carries to give the Patriots a first-and-goal at the eight and a new game plan.
“I thought it would be a 45-yard field goal to win it,” Micucci said. Instead Foley got the ball three more times, including the game-winning score. Lake Zurich got the ball back one last time, but Dominykas Bickus intercepted Lake Zurich’s Zach Till to seal the win.
Foley finished with 82 yards on 24 carries, but the offensive star for the Patriots was Micucci. The senior completed his first seven passes and finished 18-of-23 for 245 yards and two touchdowns. It was easily his best passing game of the season.
“I focused on my job, not worrying about the other kids,” he said. “I trusted my teammates.”
And he had an idea what to expect from the Bears. “Lake Zurich is always our biggest rival,” Micucci said. “We know those kids; they’re great guys. ... Really respectful after the play, but they really get after it.”
So did the Patriots, who opened a 17-0 lead in the second quarter before Lake Zurich (5-2, 3-1) rallied. Micucci hit Anthony Bozin with a 55-yard scoring pass with 10:02 left in the first half and found Jon Way for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 5:24 to play. Micucci’s field goal with 2:30 to play in the half made it 17-0, but Leiva kicked a 39-yarder with 23 seconds left for a 17-3 halftime score.
Lake Zurich tied it in the third quarter on touchdown runs of 23 yards by Till and one yard by Mike Shield. Till had 17 carries for 105 yards in the second half after getting three yards on six runs in the first half.
“I don’t think we came out flat,” Till said. “They just had a better first half than us.”
Matt Morrissey also had an interception for Stevenson and Carl Miller stopped Till for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the Patriots’ one with 10:39 left in the game.
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