Palatine teams up against Hoffman Estates
There was clearly some nervous tension in the air.
Palatine quarterback Zach Oles stood stunned and staggered on the football field. The once-beaten Pirates had to pull their standout, at least for a little bit.
Enter his backup, and one of the team's standout wide receivers, Matt Lamm. This senior completed one pass and let budding star Josh Turner take the ball downfield.
Oles shook off his aches, scoring one touchdown and throwing for another as Palatine (4-1) beat visiting Hoffman Estates 35-14 in an MSL West opener on Friday night.
"I just had the wind knocked out of me,'' Oles said. "And he (Lamm) is the leader of our team. I knew he could lead our offense."
Lamm wasn't especially awed by his big responsibility.
"We prepare for this all week long,'' Lamm said. "Everybody knew Zach would bring it on home."
Offenses were in style in the early going. Palatine needed only 9 plays to score the game's first touchdown. Oles completed 5 straight passes, two to Lamm. Nick Sabado took it the final 2 yards for the game's first score.
Hoffman Estates (2-3) answered right back.
Hawks quarterback Keegan Pierce also fired off five straight completions against the Palatine defense. A 16-yard pass play to Daniel Banahan pushed the ball close, and Chady Bitre took it the final 2 yards to tie it up heading into the second quarter.
"Hoffman Estates has a lot of talented players,'' said Palatine coach, Rick Splitt. "They play good football."
The second quarter was all Palatine. Oles and Lamm teamed up on a 24-yard pass play to the Hawks' 1. Oles took it from there.
The Pirates scored on all three possessions of the second quarter.
"We played very well tonight,'' Splitt said. "That early score was key."
In Palatine's second TD drive of the second quarter, Turner broke off runs of 15, 14 and finally 3 yards for the TD.
"Josh is bringing it,'' Oles said. "He's turned the switch on."
Giving the Pirates a 3-touchdown lead at halftime was that Turner fellow again. Oles dropped a pass to the junior, who went the distance (40 yards). The Palatine halftime lead was 28-7.
The Hawks have a special wide receiver in 6-foot-6 Brandon Hall. Maybe his best catch of the night was called back because of a penalty. No matter, as Pierce pulled his team within a pair of scores with the first touchdown of the second half, a fourth-down pass play that junior Daniel Banahan snared from 25 yards out.
After Hoffman Estates defensive back Jean-Rae Reid intercepted a Palatine pass deep in the Hawks territory, the Pirates took the next drive to put this game away. Three more Oles pass plays again brought the Pirates into Hoffman Estates territory. Turner got the call and he galloped 31 yards for the game's final score.
And Oles seemed no worse off at the end of this affair.
"A kid like Zach is pretty special,'' Splitt said.