Lane Survives Late Charge by TF South 21-20

The plodding lackluster contest became an unlikely thriller with three quick touchdowns, a made two-pointer and a missed two-pointer all in the final three minutes of the game. The Lane Tech Champions (1-1, 0-0) traveled to Lansing, Illinois to take on the Thornton Fractional South Red Wolves and survive a late comeback by the Red Wolves to win 21-20 Friday night.

Let’s just say that until the final three minutes, this game was not exactly football at it finest. Both teams were plagued by mis-queues, injuries and penalties, and the occasional dustup too. The ineptitude both squads displayed gave way to clutch plays at the end.

Down late 14-6 late in the game, there was no quit in TF South. With three minutes left, Red Wolves’ senior quarterback Nicholas Ford launched a deep ball up the far sideline. Sophomore wide receiver Amari Dukes caught it in stride for a 63-yard touchdown to bring the Wolves to within two points. What looked like an eventual Lane win suddenly was one play away from a tie.

With the game on the line, Ford found his other wide receiver David Nkwogo at the back of the endzone for the two-point conversion to tie the game.

The Lane sideline was stunned. I think the TF South sideline was a little stunned too but cheered and danced all the same.

With 2:35 left on the clock, Lane Tech fielded South’s kickoff and returned it to their own thirty-three-yard line with time to take the lead.

This is not the three yards and a cloud of dust Lane Tech Champions of recent years. On the very next play, senior quarterback Noah Mayra took the shotgun snap and quick rifled a strike down the middle to junior wideout (and baseball player) Alex Lagges. Lagges shock a couple tackles and raced up the Lane sideline for the go-ahead score. The PAT made it 21-14 Lane. 

“This year we have some pretty good skill [players]. That was just a double post to the middle of the field and Alex [Lagges] took it 80 yard (67 actually) for a touchdown,” Lane Tech head coach Dedrick Dewalt said.

“I had the post on that,” Champion’s Alex Lagges said of his winning touchdown after the game. “I just trusted that my quarterback Noah [Mayra] was going to see it, read it. That’s what he did. That’s what we do. Great play call by my coach. He saw the middle was open. We knew if we got the shot, we could make things happen.”

One play and the Champions had the lead back with 2:16 on clock. But still plenty of time left for South. But no time outs for the Red Wolves. A couple plays for small gains took time off the clock. Then Red Wolves QB Ford scrambled and found senior wide receiver Tariq Meggs-Hood underneath the coverage who sprinted up the Lane sideline to the Lane 45-yard line.

With time ticking down to 35 seconds, Ford dropped back and launched a perfect strike to senior RB/WR Christian Streeter at the goal line for another unlikely touchdown against a prevent two deep zone defense to make the score 21-20. This time the South faithful believed it and stadium erupted.

TF South head coach Bob Padjen, never hesitated. They were going for it. Win or lose, the extra points try would decide the game.

With no time outs, the Red Wolves would need run the play quickly. Padjen called a cut back run up the middle from an overloaded and decoy formation. But the quarterback audibled to a Philadelphia Eagles style “tush push” run up the middle from the three-yard line. Initially, it looked like it was working but the Champions defensive line stiffened and stopped the Wolves a half-yard shy of victory.

The Champions move into Chicago Public League play. CPL has created a 16 team Red Division super-conference. Lane will not have to face Kenwood and Simeon this season but will have to face Morgan Park. The games against Whitney Young, Taft and Amundsen give the Champions a chance to prove undeniable mastery of the Northside. Stay tuned.

Lane Beats Amundsen 7-3 for Northside Bragging Rights; Both Move on to IHSA Playoffs

“We still run the north,” was the refrain of the Lane players after the game. Last Wednesday’s newspaper and television stories of the ascendence of the Amundsen football program on the Northside were on the minds of the Champions before and after the game.

The Lane Tech Champions made their case for that claim Friday evening with a victory 7-3 over a very good Amundsen Vikings squad at Lane Stadium.

This was about as close as games get. Both teams evenly matched. Both moved the ball at times. Amundsen Sophomore running back Reginald Mitchell was able run for some yards in the middle of the field. Lane junior quarterback Noah Mayra had a sixty-yard touchdown run called back on a penalty but still provided the Campions with a ton of rushing yards. Both defenses stiffened around the goal line.

 With the Vikings up 3-0, the turning point came at the 10:32 mark early in the fourth quarter with Amundsen deep in their own end. The Amundsen punter bobbled the snap and could not get the punt away. The Lane rushers tackled him at the seven-yard line where the Champions took over on downs.

 “We call it the brotherly shove,” Lane junior quarterback Noah Mayra said of the next two plays. The Champions lined up in their best imitation of the Philiadelphia Eagles now famous quarterback sneek play. Mayra carried, or was actually pushed forward from the Amundsen seven down to the two-yard line. Lining up quickly, the Champions ran the same play in from the two for the game’s only touchdown.

“We have been running that all year. We’ve gotten like four or five touchdowns on it. Two-point conversions,” continued Mayra after the game.

There was still plenty of time left for the Vikings to come back. The Vikings moved the into Lane territory but gave up an interception. The Champions gave up an interception of there own with under four minutes.

 Holding penalties plagued the Vikings as they struggled to rally for the win.

 “We must have had seven or eight holding penalties that really stalled drives. It’s hard to overcome penalties when you are playing good teams,” Amundsen head coach Nick Olson said after the game.

 “I fell like we just didn’t execute tonight, poor execution on the offensive side. Football is a game of inches. We had a bad snap on a punt deep in our own territory and that was the difference. They ran two quarterback sneaks and got the easy touchdown. We kind of just gave this game away. Our defense did a really good job. Our defensive coordinator and coaches had a really good game plan. We moved the ball at times and we kept stalling out before we punched it in. We had a big drop in the endzone before halftime. It just continued to spiral down. Great play; bad play. Great play; bad play. We really have to work on our consistency. Inconsistency is what cost us tonight.”

 Olson was a little hard on himself and his team. They played very well but make no mistake, Lane came in ready.

“We have a pretty good gauge on these guys from Amundsen. We kind of know what they like to do. We kind of know how to cut off the water to the things they like to do the best. That’s what we did tonight,” said Lane head coach Dedrick Dewalt.

“We kept a corner in the box, up in the flats the whole game. It disrupted what the wanted to do. We know they are not going to through the ball down field. So we liked to take way the screens and play well against the run. They may be a little bigger than us up front but we are quicker so we just looked to beat them to the punch.

A jubilant Noah Mayra continued after the game, “We lost Antonio [Bombe] our senior running back. We have our freshman running back Sam [Boadu]. He is great but we can’t give him the ball every time. He is still developing. He is still learning. So I am trying to take it upon myself to run the ball and get the ball to my teammates. Some I should have thrown. Some I should have just given to Sam but we pulled it off.

 The game was a fitting cap to good seasons for both teams, a really exciting game for both teams with each team finishing 6-3 and earned playoff appearances.

The Vikings will face the Belvidere North “Blue Thunder”, 7-2, third place in the Northern Illinois Conference behind Hononegah and Boylan Catholic. Amundsen’s playoff opponent from last year, Harlem, came out of that same conference. Amundsen lands the thirteenth seed in the 6A northern bracket. Belvidere with the fourth seed.

The Champions on the other hand are in 8A by virtue of being one of the largest schools in the state. They will face South Elgin on Friday night in South Elgin, which I learned is its own town interestingly. Who knew? The South Elgin “Strikers” were 8-1 in the Upstate Eight Conference (which actually has 10 teams). The Champions land the 26th seed out of the 32 teams in 8A. South Elgin comes in with the seventh seed.   

Lane Tech Falls to Neuqua Valley in 8A Playoff 37-0

These are my photos from Friday night’s 8A playoff game at Lane Stadium between the Lane Tech Champions and the Neuqua Valley Wildcats.

My article this week was about the Amundsen game so no full treatment.

The Champions hung touch against the Wildcats in the first quarter. The depleted Champions struggled stopping Neuqua Valley after that. The Champions’ depleted offense could not move the ball despite expanding the offensive scheme at times moving into an I-formation.

The final was 37-0.

Champions move into the CPS city playoffs now and will likely face Taft next weekend.

Lane Falls to Phillips 38-7

Lane Tech fell to Phillips 38-7 Friday night a Lane Stadium in a dominate performance by Phillips in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams.

Lane came into Friday evening game against the Phillips Wildcats with a 6-0 record, its best record in as long as anyone could remember. It was evident from last week’s game 24-6 victory over a talented Clark football team that the Lane Tech Champions have bought into Coach Dedrick Dewalt’s double wing offence. Not only bought in but they invested a lot of work into making it work.

Then Phillips came to Rockwell and Addison. A few seasons removed from their 2017 5A state championship and having lost their head coach Troy McAllister, the Wildcats nevertheless, have had 9-3 records, won their Land of Lincoln conference and advanced deep into the state playoffs every year since.

But three straight losses to open the seasons? What’s become of the program? The first two losses were to Batavia and Mt. Carmel. Then a loss to Morgan Park. Maybe the Wildcats have fallen back to the pack.

It quickly became evident that the Champions had tough task in front of them. The Wildcats took the and methodically marched the ball from their own 25-yard line to the Lane 12-yard line, overcoming several penalties along the way. Senior running back Dwayne Williams took a handoff up the middle into the end zone for the first score of the game. Taking a page out of the Lane playbook, the Wildcats’ opening drop took 10 minutes and 50 seconds off the clock. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Champions struck back quickly after the ensuing kickoff. On the first play of the second quarter, Lane’s senior wingback Casey Joyce took a counter handoff from Phineas “Finn” Merrill and bolted up the middle 49 yards for a quick answering touchdown. Senior kicker Mugdim Kreho added the extra point. Lane had a 7-6 lead.

That was about as good as it would get for the Champions. After Joyce’s touchdown run, Lane struggled in moving the ball.

“We watched their film. We know we had to get push up front. A team 6-0 scares you. Their six or seven plays that they run, they are very good at it. So way have to play assignment. We watched film, we matched up. ‘This is your guy, This is your guy.’ Discipline is everything,” said Phillips head coach Joseph Winslow.

The Wildcats were ready for Lane’s double wing offense. The thing about the double wing is that it is pretty much and all or nothing defense. If the offensive line can move the defensive line off the ball and pick up four yards a carry, it is difficult to stop. If they can’t well, the double wing offense is going to struggle and better hope their defense can hold. There isn’t much quick strike, comeback potential in the double wing.

Winslow and his Wildcats were ready for the double wing. “I ran the double wing in high school. We rarely passed the ball. We knew we had to play slobber-knocker football. We’ve got to get down a hit every play,” Winslow continued.

And that they did. The Wildcats’ defensive line took over the game. Lane’s offensive line did not get any push. Not only did the Wildcat get a push of their own, they “stayed home.” Each defensive player stayed in position ready to tackle the Lane backs on the misdirection plays.  

“Everybody just assumed that we were just a terrible team. We’re young. 85% of this team is coming back. I only have twelve seniors. My receivers are all seniors which is a plus with a junior quarterback. But other than that we are young. People took us for granted. They didn’t think that we are the same team that we have always been. The kids bought in after we lost the game to Morgan Park. We feel like that was a game we should have one. We had too many mistakes,” Winslow said.

Lane did not take Phillips for granted. The coaches and commentators knew quite well what Phillips could bring. We all got to see that Phillips is an excellent team and Lane is not invincible. 

DePaul Prep Shuts Out Payton 49-0

High school football started in more-or-less normal fashion last Friday with a double feature of DePaul College Prep vs Payton College and Lane Tech vs Kenwood at a sunbaked Lane Stadium. The near 100-degree temperatures and 90% humidity tested the stamina of the heartiest football fans. This reporter, for one, was thoroughly cooked by the end of the second game.

Despite the heat, a large crowd saw the Payton College Prep Grizzlies (0-1, 0-0) fall to the DePaul Prep Rams (1-0, 0-0) 49-0.

The Rams took the opening kick-off and methodically moved the ball down the field under the leadership of senior quarterback Chris Perez. A mix of short passes and inside running plays brought the ball down to the one-yard line where senior running back Vasco Sierra took a handoff from Perez right up the middle to give the Rams a 6-0 lead they would never relinquish.

On the next series, the Rams defense held the Grizzlies. Grizzlies punted. DePaul’s junior wide receiver and cornerback Shane Leonard fielded the punt at his own 38-yard line, cut up the left side line, broke a tackle and ran it into the North endzone. With both PATs good, the Rams opened and early first quarter 14-0 lead and never looked back.

Remarkably, the Rams hit seven out of seven extra points. I don’t recall ever seeing that in a high school.

The Rams look to take a leap forward as the program and bring themselves back into the football prominence once enjoyed by its processor Gordon Tech. In recent years, it has been difficult for Gordon Tech/DePaul Prep to achieve beyond Chicago Catholic League Red Division championships. Five wins are needed to qualify for the IHSA playoffs—a difficult task for Rams who have played an almost impossible CCL schedule.

This year may well be different. The CCL has combined with the East Suburban Catholic Conference for football. The Rams will not have to play CCL Blue powerhouses like Loyola, Brother Rice or Mt. Carmel. Conference games for the Rams this year are St. Viator, Leo, St. Laurence, Notre Dame, St. Ignatius and Marian Central Catholic.

“The biggest goal right now is just to get in the the playoffs. If we make the playoffs, we don’t have the multiplier on us so we are playing in 3A. We just came out here and beat a 5A/6A  [team], one of the better CPS schools in the area,” said DePaul head coach Mike Passarella.

Five wins is very doable for DePaul. Once in the playoffs, the Rams can do some damage in the 3A playoffs.

The Payton College Prep Grizzlies struggled against DePaul suffering some injuries during the game and having lost some productive players to graduation.

“We played a really tough team that played well,” said Payton coach Craig Knoche after the game.

“We will find out [what happens with this season] on Monday/Tuesday of next week. We have got to respond to what just happened. They usually respond well.”.

In the second game, home team Lane Tech fall to the Kenwood Academy Broncos 27-9. This much more competitive game saw Lane Tech hang with the Broncos most of the first half.

Lane took an early 3-0 led. The Lane defense impressed with an early goal line stand against a big, fast and athletic Broncos’ offense. Eventually, the Lane defense cracked under the pressure of Kenwood’s speed giving up a long early second quarter touchdown run by the running back Taylen Goodwin.

The Lane offense struggled to move the ball only adding its only touchdown in the fourth quarter bringing the score to 21-9. Kenwood answered with the touchdown making the final score 27-9.

Lane travels to Lansing, Illinois for game against a game against a tough TF South team looking to rebound at home from a shellacking at the hands of Chesterton, Indiana high school.