Dexter Taylor’s OT touchdown leads Lockport

Updated: October 14, 2011 11:26PM

Dexter Taylor opened the game with a touchdown and then closed it with the game-winning one.

Taylor scored on a four-yard run in overtime as Lockport defeated Sandburg 27-24 in a SouthWest Suburban Blue showdown on Friday night at Lockport.

The victory improved the Porters to 6-2 and 4-2 in the league. It was their first win over Sandburg since 2006 and they also clinched their third straight playoff berth. Sandburg fell to 5-3, 3-3.

The Eagles scored first in overtime on a 21-yard field goal by Ted Vergados. Taylor then carried the ball to the four on first down. Following a time out, he took it in on the right side and was mobbed by his teammates.

“Billy (Reed) was supposed to keep it,” said Taylor of how the play was originally set up. “But when we came to the line I saw that we had numbers and could run to the right. So I told him to give me the ball and I’d take it to the house, and he trusted me.”

Sandburg had scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, both on 2-yard runs by Lemonte Booker (19 carries -118 yards) to take a 21-14 lead. The second one came with 2:47 to play.

Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Eagle 41. On fourth-and-13, Reed hit Jeff Pattison with a 22-yard pass to the 22. On third-and-10, Reed found Mike Haldemann with a 22-yard touchdown pass in the right corner with 46.4 seconds left.

“It was fourth-and-13, but we had all the confidence coming out of the huddle,” Reed said. “Then Mike Haldemann ran a great route for the touchdown and we were excited.”

Vergados, who made a 53-yarder the previous week against Bolingbrook, attempted a 52-yard field goal, but it was blocked as time expired in regulation.

Taylor took the opening kickoff of the game 96 yards for a touchdown. Sandburg tied the game on a 22-yard pass from Anthony Adams to Booker. But Reed ran for a seven-yard touchdown to put the Porters ahead 14-7 at half.

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