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Crystal Lake S. upends Jacobs, keeps hope alive

The odds seemed against Crystal Lake South.

Gators coach Chuck Ahsmann has been battling cancer. Sophomore quarterback Luke Nolan was making his varsity start. And the Gators had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Gators defied the odds and knocked off Jacobs 24-14 in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division action in Crystal Lake Friday night.

"I am proud of these kids," said Ahsmann. "They knew the importance of the game. It was win or miss the playoffs. We get to play a great Cary-Grove team for a chance to make the playoffs and win the conference."

The Gators' (4-4, 3-1) win was spearheaded by a stifling and opportunistic defense.

South, which shut out Jacobs (4-4, 1-3) for three quarters, picked off Jacobs quarterback Chris Katrenick 3 times. Senior defensive back Alex Reich had 2 interceptions while Dylan Sambrano had a 1.

"We knew Jacobs would throw the ball deep and I was in the right place on both interceptions," said Reich. "The coaches had a good game plan."

The South defense held Jacobs to 38 yards on 20 carries. Senior standout Josh Walker was held to 22 yards on 11 carries.

"(Walker) is a great back," said Ahsmann, "Our kids really flew to the ball and we did a great job of stopping him. We didn't let him get any big plays."

While the Gator defense excelled, South managed the clock with a grueling running game.

Rushing for 207 yards on 44 carries, senior Kyle Bartusch led the way with 106 yards on 21 carries with TD runs of 1 and 3 yards. The senior back also caught a 6-yard TD pass from Nolan.

"Coach Ahsmann really got on us at halftime," said Bartusch. "He wanted us to run harder. We all wanted to win this game for coach."

Corey Sheehan added 97 yards on 20 carries for the Gators.

Leading 7-0 at halftime, South seized control of the game with 14 points unanswered points in the third quarter and led 21-0 heading into the final quarter.

Jacobs didn't quit.

The Golden Eagles, who need to win at McHenry next week to have a shot at a playoff berth, got on the scoreboard with 10:31 left when Katrenick hit Camden McLain for a 28 yard TD to make the score 21-7.

Tyler Baker's 24-yard field goal gave the Gators a 24-7 advantage.

The Eagles made the score 24-14 when Katrenick connected with Nick Gierlak for a 5-yard score with 2:17 left.

"It was a tough loss," said Katrenick. "I will take the blame."

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