Second-half slump slows Grayslake North

Grayslake North senior Titus Booker seemed to be well on his way to another record-setting rushing performance at halftime of Thursday night's Fox Valley Conference Fox Division football game at Crystal Lake Central.

The Indiana-bound Booker needed just 9 carries to pile up 263 yards in the first 24 minutes at Owen Metcalf Field. Four of his touches resulted in long sprints to the end zone as the Knights went to the locker room with a 4-point lead.

But when they had to go back to the locker room with 8:25 left in the third quarter for lightning delays that totaled an hour and 12 minutes it was with a 3-point deficit.

The Knights (3-3, 2-1) didn't score again until there was 1:10 to play and Booker was limited to 22 second-half yards. CL Central (4-2, 2-2) held on for a 37-34 victory that ended at 11:10 p.m. before just a smattering of the big crowd that was originally in attendance.

"Missed opportunities - and you can't beat a good team like that," said North coach Steve Wood. "They could be the most physical team we've played all year."

Booker came in off consecutive school-record games of 329 and 360 yards rushing with 5 touchdowns each time. He ripped off scores of 68, 56, 75 and 55 to put the Knights up 27-23 with 2:40 left in the first half.

But he was contained in the second half and finished with 285 yards. CL Central went ahead to stay at 30-27 when Matt DeCoste (17-for-31, 141 yards) hit Alan Pawlicki for a 45-yard touchdown pass just 1:16 after intermission.

North had its first second-half possession - which was interrupted by the lightning delay - stall at the CL Central 6.

The Knights' next possession was thwarted by an interception by Mario McMinn in 1-on-1 coverage on a fly pattern from Merrick Gentile (9-for-24, 158 yards) for Eli Atwater at the Tigers' 2. They proceeded to take 13 running plays that ate up 6:50 to take a 37-27 lead on a 6-yard run by Aaron Stances with 5:40 left.

The Knights' next possession ended with a sack but Gentile hit 5 of 8 passes on a late desperation 9-play drive of 97 yards that took just 1:13. Gentile (64 yards rushing) scored from 4 yards with 1:10 left but CL Central recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

"We just couldn't take advantage of our opportunities and that's the bottom line," Wood said. "We only gave them two touchdowns in the second half. There are a lot of things we need to talk about."

The Knights finished with 507 yards of total offense. CL Central had 477 on 91 plays as Ryan Williams rushed for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns.

"We still control our destiny," Wood told his team afterward of the FVC Fox race where the Knights will finish at Woodstock North (2-3, 2-0) in Week 9.