Stay Connected with YourSeason
Football: Boylan’s third-quarter spark downs Lake Zurich
23549440
Updated: November 20, 2011 7:59AM
When the monster hole opened up, Tyreis Thomas had no intention of going down.
The Rockford Boylan tailback exploded for a 66-yard touchdown on the second play of the third quarter to spark the Titans to a 16-10 victory over Lake Zurich in an IHSA Class 7A semifinal in Rockford.
“My line did a good job,” Thomas said. “I knew I had to score, and I did what I had to do.”
Thomas had to fight through a wall of three Lake Zurich tacklers at the 20-yard line to bump the lead to 16-7.
“I’m not the fastest guy out there,” said Thomas. “But I’m not going to be brought down by one or two guys.”
Thomas, who finished with 144 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns, was tough for the Bears to corral all afternoon.
“He (Thomas) was a good runner,” said Bears linebacker Jack Lynn. “After contact, he was still running and keeping his legs moving.”
Boylan (13-0) heads to the state final for a second straight year. The Titans won the Class 6A title in 2010 by defeating Marmion 48-19.
“I’m happy as I can be right now,” said Thomas, who scored two touchdowns against Marmion in the ’10 title game. “But I won’t be happy if we lose.”
Lake Zurich (10-3) came up short in its bid to return to the state finals. The Bears tied the game 7-7 on a one-yard run by quarterback Steven Kuhn midway through the second quarter.
Boylan took the lead for good on the final play of the first half when Sean Slattery kicked a 19-yard field goal.
The Bears finished the contest with 186 total yards. The Titan defense allowed only 65 yards in the second half.
“We saw some of their tendencies on film,” said Boylan defensive end Dean Lowry. “We knew it would be a battle of defenses today.”
© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
Cell Phone Alerts
Comments Click here to view or make a comment