Minooka edges Plainfield North in OT

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:26PM

Friday's game against Plainfield North couldn't have started any worse for Minooka. And it couldn't have ended any better.

The Indians were back on their heels after giving up a long touchdown run to North's Kapri Bibbs on the first play from scrimmage.

But after Bibbs ran for 174 yards in the first half, Minooka kept him in check the rest of the way and the Indians won 35-34 in overtime in Southwest Prairie action in Plainfield.

"The first play showed we were a little bit in awe," Minooka coach Bert Kooi said. "The way we approached to tackle him on that first play, I said, 'Oh, my God.'"

After Bibbs' 79-yard TD run, Minooka linebacker Daylon Bacot and his teammates took stock. "Me and the other 10 guys on my side of the ball, we said, 'This is what the kid can do, this is what we're going to do. We're going to punch him in the mouth,'" Bacot said. "'We're not going to let him run on us anymore.'"

Bibbs, who ran for 520 yards and seven touchdowns against Oswego last week, finished with 32 carries for 198 yards and three scores.

Plainfield North scored first in OT on quarterback Kyle Palendech's six-yard run. But Sean Renzi's PAT kick was wide left.

Then Minooka fullback Taylor Salazar, who had just three carries in regulation, powered across from two yards out in overtime and Jason Lizalek kicked the decisive extra point – twice. He also made it on the first try, but an encroachment call nullified the PAT and Lizalek had to kick again.

He hit that one also, clinching the win for the Indians (6-1, 4-1).

"I didn't know what happened," Lizalek said of the first kick. "Everyone was jumping on me."

After Bibbs put Plainfield North (5-2, 4-1) ahead early, Minooka tied it on Mitch Brozovich's one-yard scoring run. Bibbs' second TD run, a five-yarder, put North back on top 14-7 early in the second quarter.

But Minooka's Kalvin Hill had touchdown runs of four and three yards to give the Indians a 21-14 halftime lead.

Kyle Banks' eight-yard TD run midway through the third period pushed Minooka's lead to 28-14. The Tigers rallied, though, getting a two-yard scoring run by Bibbs in the third period and a 28-yard TD pass from Palendech to Cody Lopez with 7:48 left in the fourth to tie the score.

Hill ran 17 times for 130 yards for Minooka. Brozovich was 6-of-10 passing for 118 yards and also rushed 17 times for 63 yards.

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