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Lakes exits, but not quietly, at Lake Forest

The slogan "uncommon" was proudly worn on the right side of the helmets at Lakes this football season.

With all the unusual events that occurred during the Eagles season, it was almost fitting that their Class 6A opening round playoff contest at No. 7 seeded Lake Forest had a rather uncommon ending.

With the Eagles in a 34-14 hole, the visitors proceeded to put together a wild comeback that few outside of the players and coaches on the Lakes' sidelines believed was possible.

It started with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Sasser with 1:41 to play. Then Sasser was the fortunate recipient of a Lake Forest fumble that he promptly returned 47 yards for a score, trimming the margin to 7.

But in the end, the Eagles couldn't slow down the powerful run game of Lake Forest, and espeically senior Quinn Julian, when they had to. Julian was simply sensational all night for the Scouts, rushing for 144 yards and 4 touchdowns and catching 9 balls for 127 yards and one more score.

Julian's great night was too much for the Eagles as Lake Forest advanced to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs with a 34-27 win over the Eagles. Lake Forest (7-3) will travel to No. 1 seeded Prairie Ridge, a 56-12 winner over Crystal Lake South, next weekend. Lakes ended its season at 6-4.

"This game was a lot like the slogan on our helmets -uncommon," said Lakes senior Jordan Mercure. "We had so many strange things happen to us all season, and tonight too. I've grown up so much from this team, this program and these coaches. I am the person I am today because of these guys."

Lakes looked like it was prepared to take the lead midway through the second quarter. A 72-yard pass from Colton Jewell to Mercure set the Eagles up at the Scouts' 1-yard line. But four tries from their ended up with no points for Lakes.

"I told our kids that there is no better play in football than when you stop a team on fourth-and-goal at the 1," said Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli. "I didn't like the long pass play that set that up, but I liked the stop at the goal line."

Lake Forest built on its 13-7 halftime lead with a long scoring drive to start the second half. Daniel Carollo hit Julian on a short swing pass for a 9-yard score and the Scouts had a two-score lead at 21-7.

Just when the Eagles thought they had a stop, turnovers came up to get them. A fumble on the next possession gave the hosts the ball deep in Lakes territory. Julian and the Scouts capitalized again, as the senior ran in his fourth score of the night put the Scouts up 28-7 just before the fourth quarter started.

"Turnovers hurt us and we didn't get the stops we needed when we needed them," said Lakes coach Luke Mertens. "When we get the ball down deep like we did we have to capitalize there and we simply didn't finish."

One more fumble by the Eagles turned into one more score for Julian and the Scouts. After a 6-yard run by Mercure cut the deficit to 28-14, Julian banged it in from 4 yards out to regain the three-score advantage.

"When you have a player like that, you try and do whatever you can to get the ball in his hands," Spagnoli said. "When we did that he made a lot of good things happen. I am happy for our kids."

Sasser and the Eagles didn't give in at the end, which to Sasser exemplified the character of this group.

"I would do anything for this group," Sasser said. "Our coaches teach us to be uncommon to never quit, and that's what you saw us do tonight was go down fighting."

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