Football: Hillcrest's playoff hopes remain alive

Tinley Park's Kyle Blume (right) can't stop Hillcrest runner Herb Offord's run to the end zone.
(Art Vassy/SouthtownStar)

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With a possible state playoff berth hanging in the balance for both teams and School District 228 ACT exams scheduled for Saturday, officials from Hillcrest and host Tinley Park did everything they could to play Friday night's South Suburban Blue football game.

It took 4-plus hours and two rain/lightning delays, but they finally made it. Hillcrest (5-4, 3-2) ended up claiming a 27-20 victory over the Titans (4-5, 2-3).

In a game that was supposed to start at 7 p.m., Hillcrest managed to build a 21-12 halftime lead and then managed to survive down the stretch in the annual battle of 175th Street. With the rain not stopping, the drenched field made it difficult for players on both sides to execute their assignments.

Yet, it turned out to be a night filled with exciting plays.

Hillcrest got off to a great start on its first series. On fourth down, the Hawks were able to get Tinley Park to jump offsides, thus creating a first down at the 30-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Herb Offord raced 70 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Joseph Bailey kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Hillcrest's Aaron Carr recovered a Tinley Park fumble, giving the Hawks possession at the Titans' 19.

Offord went to the left side of Tinley Park's defense and covered those 19 yards to push his team ahead 13-0.

Five plays later at 8:33 p.m., lightning filled the sky, leading to the night's second delay, this one lasting 75 minutes. Officials ordered the large stadium crowd to seek safety in the high school gymnasium.

When the teams returned, Tinley Park caught fire.

Defensive back Steven O'Bryant recovered a Hillcrest fumble and darted 60 yards to the end zone to cut the Titans' deficit to 13-6 with 4:24 left in the first quarter.

Tinley Park's Cisroe Brown then recovered a Hillcrest fumble on the kickoff, putting his team at the Hillcrest 35. After Michael Mehaljevic ran for 25 yards to the 10 and Kyle Rodriguez gained one more to the 9, Mehaljevic plowed to pay dirt to make it 13-12.

Hillcrest, which was stopped on downs at the Tinley Park 10 early in the second period, increased its lead just before halftime.

The Hawks' Morgan Weaver intercepted a Rodriguez screen pass and motored 27 yards to the end zone and then added a 2-point conversion run for a 21-12 lead with 1:43 remaining.

Jamison Wilson's 10-yard TD run in the third quarter increased Hillcrest's advantage to 27-12.

With 8:17 left in the game, Rodriguez threw a 4-yard TD pass to O'Bryant and then threw a 2-point conversion pass to Stuart Litko to make it 27-20.

The first rain/lightning delay lasted nearly two hours, canceling the sophomore game, won by Tinley Park 18-0, in the second quarter.