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Football: Lyons rallies to defeat Glenbrook South in OT
Updated: November 7, 2011 8:25PM
An emotional week ended with an emotional triumph Saturday night for Lyons Township. Senior running back Jaime Jones was in the middle of the celebration.
Jones scored all five of LT’s TDs and rushed for a season-high 174 yards on 25 carries as LT pulled off another upset against a higher seed with a thrilling 34-31 overtime victory against Glenbrook South. Jones scored the game-winning touchdown with a carry up the middle for 10 yards on LT’s first overtime play.
Fifth-seeded Glenbrook South (8-3), which had won seven of its last eight games, scored on its first possession in overtime on Brandon McGarrity’s 21-yard field goal before Jones’ clincher.
Jones scored on runs of 27, 3, 21, 5 and 10 yards in the game, which was held at LT’s south campus in Western Springs where freshman Kelli O’Laughlin attended school. Jones was among five captains who attended her funeral service earlier in the week as representatives of the football team. Every player and coach wore K.O. stickers during the game to remember their late classmate, who was murdered more than a week ago.
“This win is for Kelli O’Laughlin,” Jones said. “You can’t know how much it means to us after going to the service. This was fuel for our rage, this game. What a terrible predicament for her mother.”
LT (7-4), a No. 12 seed, won for the fifth time in its last six games and returns to the Class 8A quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. LT will play top-seeded Loyola (10-0), a 29-0 winner over Dunbar, next weekend. LT made a furious comeback after GBS took a 28-14 lead in the third quarter when Sully Stadler returned a blocked punt 15 yards for a score. Mike Demos blocked the punt more than one minute after Kevin Schroeder (27 carries, 116 yards) scored on a 6-yard run.
Jones scored his third TD with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter and scored the only points in the fourth with his fourth TD after LT went 77 yards on nine plays to tie the game with 1:38 left.
“Obviously, it has been a tough week,” LT coach Kurt Weinberg said. “This could do a whole lot to bring something positive for the whole community.”
LT placekicker Jake Elliott, who has made two game-winning kicks, including a 52-yarder earlier this season, attempted a 56-yard field goal to end regulation, but the kick was blocked.
GBS quarterback Mac Zabriskie (13-for-23, 168 yards) passed for two touchdowns for the second consecutive week. Stadler had seven receptions for 82 yards.
“This was the worst right now,” GBS coach Mike Noll said. “We should have won this ball game. We were in a good position to win. We made too many mistakes.
The two teams traded touchdowns in the first half. Every time LT scored, GBS responded. LT needed only six plays to travel 65 yards to score on the game’s opening possession. Jones scored the first of his two touchdowns in the first half on a 27-yard run.
Jones put LT ahead 14-7 in the the second quarter by ending a 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run.
After Jones’ first TD, the Titans scored on Mac Zabriskie’s 21-yard TD pass to Sully Stadler on a fourth-and-seven play with 42.2 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Zabriske’s second TD of the half sent LT’s defense into halftime feeling a little dazed.
On fourth-and-one at the LT 15, Kevin Schroeder went up the middle for an 11-yard gain with 32.2 seconds remaining before the break. On the next play, GBS tied the game when Zabriskie hit Billy Pappas with a perfect pass to the right corner of the end zone as Pappas sprinted away from an LT defender.
McGarrity’s point-after kick tied the game at 14 with 25.7 seconds before halftime. McGarrity, a member of the GBS boys soccer team, ended the Titans’ previous possession with 3:59 remaining in the second quarter when he pulled a 26-yard field goal attempt to the left.
Jones rushed for 80 yards on 12 carries in the second half. Zabriskie led junior Zach Mahoney (16-of-27, 168 yards) in passing in the first half by completing 9-of-12 for 119 yards and two TDs. Mahoney went 8-for-12 for 78 yards and threw one interception. Mahoney made his third career start for the varsity after taking over for previous starter Connor Onion.
LT rallied to beat Bartlett 45-42 in the first round despite trailing 28-7 in the second half. Mount Carmel defeated LT 41-10 in last year’s quarterfinals. LT has never reached the quarterfinals in back-to-back seasons before.
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