Elliot hits field goal for Lyons win

Updated: October 1, 2011 9:38PM

Lyons kept its playoff hopes alive with a last second victory over Oak Park-River Forest on homecoming Saturday.

Jake Elliott’s previous career long as a place kicker was 35 yards.

That came in the third quarter of Lyons’ West Suburban Silver game against visiting Oak Park-River Forest Saturday in Western Springs.

Elliott was well prepared for an even longer kick and that chance came in the fourth quarter with 4.5 seconds remaining. The junior connected on an improbable 52-yard field to end the game to give Lyons a stunning 16-14 win.

“Everything was perfect,” Elliott said. “The adrenaline rush put on a couple of extra yards. It was crazy.”

Elliott said Lyons (3-3, 2-2) has practiced last-second field goals, but rarely at that kind of distance.

“I expected it. We’ve worked on game situations where it gets down to five seconds and the field goal team goes in there,” Elliott said.

The winning kick came from the Huskies’ 35 on third-and-10. Lyons coach Kurt Weinberg decided to go for the field goal after quarterback Connor Onion threw two incomplete passes on a drive that started with 14.5 seconds remaining.

“Jake has shown he has a heck of a leg,” Weinberg said. “I felt we had a chance with a roughing penalty and after those two incompletions. I thought our best chance was to kick the field goal there.”

Elliott’s third field goal of the game didn’t seem probable just moments earlier when OPRF junior defensive end Nile Sykes returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown with 1:53 remaining to give the Huskies (2-4, 1-3) their first lead of the game, 14-13.

After Lyons’ next drive stalled at OPRF’s 38, the Huskies could not run out the clock due to a penalty and with two Lyons timeouts remaining.

Elliott scored the game’s first points on a 19-yard field goal with 9:19 to go in the third quarter. His career-best 35-yard field goal came with 3:58 remaining in the quarter. His previous two field goals this season were from 25 and 28 yards.

The game-winner wouldn’t likely have happened without help from punt returner Matthew Harris. When the Huskies could not run out the clock, Harris lined up as a rusher in punt formation and partially blocked Ben Hoepf’s punt, which went seven yards. That placed the ball at the OPRF 35 for Elliott’s eventual heroics.

With Lyons starting quarterback Connor Onion (11-of-22, 103 yards, TD) playing with a sore left elbow, Harris moved over from receiver to run a Wildcat offense as the quarterback. He rushed for 40 yards on nine carries while Onion ran only three times.

Lyons was led by Jaime Jones, who rushed for 80 yards on 21 carries and caught three passes for 50 yards, including a 32-yard TD pass to end the third quarter. Jones’ TD gave Lyons a 13-0 lead. Lyons scored on its first three possessions in the second half after OPRF’s Derion Young fumbled on the opening kickoff after the half.

Sophomore Jacob Lintvelt replaced Huskies starting quarterback Dain Mrozek in the fourth quarter and led OPRF to its only offensive touchdown in 12 plays for 65 yards. He scored from the 1 and then Jakari Cammon (34 carries, 157 yards) added a two-point conversion run.

“It wasn’t that Dain was not doing well,” OPRF coach John Hoerster said. “We just needed a spark. We needed something. Jacob does some things well. He’s a fiery kid.”

During the drive, Lintvelt completed the Huskies’ longest pass in the game for 12 yards and ran an effective option with Cammon. Cammon has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this season and entered the contest with 741 yards and four TDs on the season.

“Until we get a better passing game going, we’ll see nine guys in the box [for Cammon],” Hoerster said.

The Huskies lost their third consecutive game and dropped to 1-3 since starting senior quarterback John Phelan suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 2 against Proviso East. Lintvelt came off the bench for his third consecutive game this season.

“I know I had to do something. I wanted to show that we were not giving up and I tried to rally the troops,” Lintvelt said. “I’ve learned a lot from Dain. He’s a great kid and he teaches me a lot. We’re good friends and have developed good chemistry.”

To become eligible for the playoffs, OPRF must win its remaining games. The Huskies host Hinsdale Central (4-2, 1-2) at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7.

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