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36 | October 3, 2019 | the orland Park Prairie sports OPPrairiedaily.com 5 FOOTBALL Sandburg loses tough game before heading into tough stretch MATT CIZEK Freelance Reporter One week before its matchup with Homewood-Flossmoor, Sandburg looked to gain some momentum going into a contest against Lockport. In the first half, the Eagles managed to get some things going. The same could not be said for the second. Playing on Saturday afternoon following a rainy Friday night that caused numerous postponements in the area, Lockport got its offense rolling to the tune of 254 second-half yards, and the Eagles fell to the Porters 28-21 following a 21-7 halftime advantage. “It was a tale of two halves,” Sandburg coach Scott Peters said. “They played a good second half. We played terrible after a decent first half. They made better adjustments and some plays and we didn’t.” Once conference rivals, it was the first meeting between the two teams since 2015 as both are back in the SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue. After a scoreless first quarter, Sandburg got its offense going with sophomore QB Kevin Zimmer leading the way. Zimmer capped a 10-play, 84-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining before halftime. Though Lockport would score once on a TD pass from Riley Pfeiffer to Aidan Ensley, Zimmer’s two TD passes – 10 yards to Dylan Sigel and 8 yards to Mike Bosco – gave LOCKPORT AT SANDBURG, SEPT. 28 1 2 3 4 F Lockport 0 7 7 14 28 Sandburg 0 21 0 0 21 TOP PERFORMERS 1. Kevin Zimmer, Sandburg QB - 5-18 for 94 yards with 2 TDs; 10 carries for 47 yards with TD 2. Luke Stefanos, Sandburg RB - 15 carries for 39 yards 3. Riley Pfeiffer, Lockport QB - 13-23 for 194 yds.; 2 TDs UP NEXT: Sandburg plays at Homewood-Flossmoor at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4. Homewood-Flossmoor won last year’s contest 56-0. Sandburg its 14-point halftime advantage. “We have three sophomores on our offense,” Coach Peters said. “He [Zimmer] is going to be a fine quarterback when all is said and done.” The second half, however, was all Lockport (2-3, 1-1). After turning the ball over on downs to begin play, Lockport scored on its next possession on a 19-yard TD pass from Pfeiffer to Malik Makhlouf. A fumbled punt by the Porters later gave the ball back to the Eagles (2-3, 0-1) at midfield. However, the Eagles were unable to move the ball. It was a common theme in a difficult second half offensively that saw the Eagles manage to pick up only 81 yards, 37 on a completion from Zimmer to John-Michael Scumaci. “We actually felt like we moved the ball pretty well in the first half,” Peters said. “In the second half, they were bringing more pressure, and from a field position standpoint maybe we were a little too conservative with our play calling early on in the second half…they definitely did a better job up front.” Lockport completed its comeback following two touchdown runs by Collin Schmutzler, the last a 26- yard run with 3 minutes left. Sandburg was able to get down to the Porters’ 14-yard line, but a pass from Zimmer to David Antoine fell incomplete just short of the end zone. “We played strong in the first half. We just have to be come together as a team to keep everything in sync,” Zimmer said. “Their ends were very disciplined with controlling the running game. Their corners and linebackers [made it] harder to get passes off.” The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Eagles. Now they will have to win two out of three games in a brutal three game stretch against three of the state’s top teams – Homewood-Flossmoor, Bolingbrook, and Lincoln Way East – in order to avoid playoff elimination. “It’s the toughest conference in the state,” Peters said. “Obviously, a stretch [like this] isn’t anything anyone in the state would Sandburg’s Mike Bosco comes down with a touchdown reception despite heavy coverage from two Lockport defenders in Saturday’s Eagles loss. PHOTOS BY JEFF VORVA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA Sandburg’s Tylor Lovitt grabs Lockport’s William Orban’s jersey during a play in the Porters’ 28-21 victory. want on their schedule, but it’s what we have to deal with and we just have to keep getting better as a program. Our kids will work, and will complete, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may in the next couple weeks.”
OPPrairiedaily.com sports the orland park prairie | October 3, 2019 | 37 FOOTBALL Celtics host block party in romp over Carmel Sean Hastings Contributing Editor Sophomore Providence running back Aaron Vaughn said he did not know what to do with his Friday night Sept. 27. It was weird not having anything to do on Friday for the first time in over a month. He should have been playing a football game, but the Celtics were one of the many area schools to have their game washed away and made up on Saturday. So, Vaughn spent the night watching extra videos to prepare even more for the Celtics’ game against Carmel Catholic Saturday, Sept. 28. Whatever he and the rest of his team did on the rainy Friday night worked as the Celtics rolled past Carmel in a Catholic League/ESCC crossover for a 49-6 win in New Lenox. “We came in just as hyped,” he said. Right off the bat, Carmel went three-and-out, went to punt it away, but senior Kevin Countryman blocked the punt and set up the offense at Carmel’s 9-yard line, which led to a 5-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kevin Conway. Countryman’s block was the first of three by the Celtic defense. “Field position is everything,” Conway said. “We got that one and almost scored on it, then we got the other one [blocked by Elias Valdez, scored by Dakota Straight] and scored on that and then our linebacker [Andy Degner] got one and scored on it. We made sure we controlled the field position really well.” Valdez’ block came just seven seconds into the second quarter. Carmel had the ball at its own 20 and a group of Celtics rushed the punter, Valdez blocked it and Straight dove on it in the end zone to make it 14-0. Carmel opted to not send its punting unit out the rest of the game, rather punting out of an offensive formation if it did. That worked twice, but Degner’s block came in that situation. “It made us feel like we beat them,” Countryman Providence running back Aaron Vaughn rushed for 203 yards against Carmel on Saturday, Sept. 28. SEAN HASTINGS/22ND CENTURY MEDIA CARMEL AT PROVIDENCE, SEPT. 28 1 2 3 4 F Carmel 0 0 6 0 6 Providence 7 14 14 14 49 TOP PERFORMERS: 1. Aaron Vaughn, Providence RB - 203 rushing yards on 19 attempts, two touchdowns, 75-yard touchdown run 2. Andy Degner, Providence LB - Blocked punt and touchdown 3. Kevin Conway, Providence QB - 84 passing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 49-yard run. UP NEXT: Providence hosts St. Rita on Friday, Oct. 4. If the Celtics win, they will be playoff eligible. 4 said of Carmel struggling to punt. “They weren’t [able to do much] on the field and it made us feel like we can cover anything, do anything and beat them any other way we possibly can.” The Celtics’ defense allowed 177 yards — 65 AREA FOOTBALL STANDINGS SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE Team, Conf. Record, Overall LW East 2-0 5-0 H-F 1-1 4-1 Lockport 1-1 2-3 Bolingbrook 0-1 4-1 Sandburg 0-1 2-3 SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN RED Team, Conf. Record, Overall Andrew 2-0 4-1 Bradley-Bourb. 1-0 2-3 LW West 1-1 3-2 LW Central 0-2 1-4 Stagg 0-1 1-4 SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE Team, Conf. Record, Overall Lemont 3-0 4-1 Hillcrest 2-0 4-1 Bremen 2-1 4-1 Tinley Park 1-1 2-3 TF North 1-2 2-3 TF South 0-2 3-2 Oak Forest 0-3 0-5 CCL/ESCC GREEN Team, Conf. Record, Overall Notre Dame 1-0 5-0 Montini 1-0 4-1 Providence 0-1 4-1 St. Rita 0-1 2-3 of which was a scoring pass from Avery Bugaj to Kimahri Wilson. Bugaj took a huge hit — not uncommon on Saturday — by Anthony Prucha, but got the pass away. Junior linebacker Jack Please see football, 35 Our staff’s predictions for the top games in Week 6 Millar went perfect and is tied with Vorva for the lead. The two sports editors are leading the pack so nature is in its correct balance. For now, anyway… 27-8 27-8 26-9 Sean Hastings | Contributing Editor 25-10 24-11 23-12 Game of the Week • St. Rita (2-3) at Providence (4-1) Other Games to Watch • Andrew (4-1) at Bradley-Bourbonnais (2-3) • Tinley Park (2-3) at Lemont (4-1) • Lincoln-Way East (5-0) at LW Central (1-4) • Sandburg (2-3) at Homewood-Flossmoor (4-1) • LW West (3-2) at Stagg (1-4) • Bolingbrook (4-1) at Lockport (2-3) Steve Millar | Sports Editor • Providence 30, St. Rita 17. Celtics keep rolling behind Conway, Vaughn and an opportunistic defense. • Andrew • Lemont • LW East • H-F • LW West • Bolingbrook Jeff Vorva | Sports Editor • Providence 28, St. Rita 17. St. Rita is not playing like the ST. RITA powerhouse of old and the Celtics continue winning. • Andrew • Lemont • LW East • H-F • LW West • Bolingbrook • Providence 28, St. Rita 21. Providence offense says hot. • Bradley • Tinley Park • LW East • H-F • LW West • Bolingbrook Thomas Czaja | Editor • Providence 21, St. Rita 20. With both teams coming off big wins, Celtics make a few more plays to maintain momentum. • Andrew • Lemont • LW East • H-F • LW West • Bolingbrook Joe Coughlin | Publisher • Providence 35, St. Rita 24. Celtics attack will have plenty of room against the Mustangs. • Andrew • Lemont • LW East • H-F • LW West • Bolingbrook Heather Warthen | Chief Marketing Officer • Providence 17, St. Rita 14. Tough matchup but Celtics will prevail. • Andrew • Lemont • LW East • H-F • LW West • Bolingbrook
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Page 40: Orland Park’s Hometown Newspaper

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