Rous rolls the dice, and pass line is a winner

Grant High's Justin Cokefair (left) gains some tough yards as he is brought down by Vernon Hills' Seb Evans during their football playoff game at Vernon Hills on Friday.
(Michael Schmidt/News-Sun)

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VERNON HILLS -- Grant High football coach Kurt Rous showed here Friday night just how much he believes in the kids wearing Bulldog uniforms.

Down 31-30 after scoring a touchdown in the second overtime period, Rous shunned the game-tying extra-point kick and, instead, rolled the dice and went for the two-point conversion and the win.

And not only did he go for the win, but with every person in the place 100-percent certain that star fullback Dan Hourihan would carry the ball from the 3-yard line, Rous called a play on which Hourihan's hands never touched the pigskin.

Instead, it was junior quarterback Justin Cokefair hitting clutch receiver Tommy Bychowski on a crossing pattern deep in the end zone to give Grant a miraculous 32-31 win.

The Bulldogs (7-3) will host Huntley next week in the Round of 16 of the IHSA Class 6A playoffs.

Grant actually looked like it had the game won in regulation, but a shanked punt by Bychowski with less than a minute to go gave Vernon Hills the chance to move into field-goal range, and Brian Smith came through in the clutch with a 37-yard boot as time expired that probably would not have been good from 40.

That tied it at 17-17.

In overtime, each team got four plays to score from the 10-yard line.

In the first extra period, Bychowski scored on a 10-yard run on first down and Hourihan booted the extra point for a 24-17 lead. It was the first time all game Bychowski lined up in the backfield, and he took a pitch and swept nicely around right end to the house.

Vernon Hills matched it on QB P.J. Marsek's five-yard run on third down and Smith's boot.

In the second OT, Vernon Hills went first and Seb Evans scored from the 10 on first down. Smith converted again for a 31-24 lead.

Grant then handed the ball to Hourihan three straight times, and he gained 6, 3, and 1 yards to score and make it 31-30.

Then came a Grant timeout and the gut-check call -- not only to go for two, but to count on players other than Hourihan.

Clearly, the coach's faith in his players was well-placed.

"I didn't want that (shanked) punt to determine the game," said Bychowski, a talented wideout who missed four games this year with mononucleosis.

Hourihan, who finished with 187 yards rushing and 2 TDs on 25 carries, knew his teammate could make the catch.

"That's how he is," said Hourihan. "We call him 'Big Game Bychowski.' "

Rous said there was never a doubt about going for the win at the end.

"We've taken chances all year," he said.

When asked to explain why he took that final chance, he responded, "Because I'm dumb."

Fortunately, he's got smart players. And gutsy ones.

GRANT 32, VERNON HILLS 31 (2ot)