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Football: Lemont advances past Oak Forest
Mary Beth Nolan~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: November 4, 2011 10:48PM
For the fifth consecutive season, Lemont has advanced to the state quarterfinals.
And for the second time in three weeks, the Indians disposed of Oak Forest with relative ease.
After routing the Bengals 47-13 in Week 9 of the regular season, Lemont added a 35-14 victory Friday over Oak Forest in a Class 6A second-round game. The Indians (11-0) play the winner of the Saturday’s Hubbard-Richards game in the quarterfinals.
“We knew it was going to be different than the last time we played. We were playing at their (Oak Forest) place this time,” Lemont running back Mike Anzalone. “We had to play Lemont football.”
Asked to define Lemont football, Anzalone didn’t hesitate.
“Play physical, play fast, hit hard, no turnovers and put points on the board,” the senior said.
He neglected one thing, however: winning.
Anzalone did his part, carrying the ball 26 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
As integral as Anzalone’s contributions were to the outcome, it was quarterback Damon Aleman’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Jay at 8:49 of the second quarter that broke a 7-all tie and appeared to break the Bengals’ collective backs.
It was the Indians first pass completion of the night.
“It was huge,” Lemont coach Eric Michaelsen said of the TD toss. “It was a momentum-shifter.”
Oak Forest (7-4) had tied the game 7-all on a pretty 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Zale (3-of-11, 58 yards) to Artie Johnson with 2:43 left in the first quarter.
An interception by Matt Luzzo at the Bengals 13-yard line set up Lemont’s third score. Chris Giatras (7 carries, 35 yards) busted in from the one for a 21-7 lead at the half.
“It was important to score again before the half and get some more momentum,” Michaelsen said.
Aleman (4-of-7, 97 yards) hooked up Drew Slee on an 8-yard TD pass at 5:29 of the third quarter to widen the lead to 28-7.
Oak Forest’s Matt Barry (16 carries, 60 yards) scored form 1-yard out to close within 28-14 after Blake Waller’s kick.
Anzalone took a handoff on fourth-and-4 from the Bengals 33 and reached pay dirt for the 35-14 final. Lemont’s Josh Young was perfect on five point-after kicks.
Lemont’s defense, led by Brad Uher, Kyle Krull and John Tomala, limited Oak Forest to 182 yards of total offense. Tevin Coleman carried the ball eight times for 36 yards in his final high school game. Lemont managed 284 yards of offense.
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