Grayslake North edges out Grayslake Central
So, how many touchdowns did Elliott Bubba Hochstein score on Friday night?
The official book says three scores on passes from Grayslake North quarterback Austin Martineau. But there had to be more than that.
“There was one more,'' said North coach Sam Baker.
Huh? Oh, yeah, called back because of a penalty.
No, it wasn't a rout on Friday on rivalry night at Grayslake Central.
The Rams (3-5, 3-3) stayed right with the Knights (6-2, 5-1) for most of the game. Rams QB Sam Lennartz (23-36-207) hit Michael Przybylski with a 15-yard scoring play to pull his team within a touchdown as the third quarter clock came to a close.
There was no scoring in the final quarter and the Knights went home with a 26-19 win.
“There was so much energy in this game,'' Hochstein noted. “Some of the game didn't go the way we planned it but we got the win.”
It's clear this Bubba Hochstein fellow stays busy during the season and others.
“I'm a slot receiver and a wideout,'' he said. “I play strong safety on defense. I've played lacrosse and ran track last year.”
With both quarterbacks getting to throw the ball on a regular basis, actually the game's first touchdown came on a long run. Mikey Brown didn't get many carries in this NLCC contest, but his first one was impressive. It traveled 66 yards on the ground and despite a missed extra point, the Knights were up by 6 heading to the second quarter.
Still, Baker was a little concerned about the scores his team put up that didn't count. Penalties on the pass plays pushed his team backward.
“I think there were three times where we lost points,'' Baker said. “What bothers me is that we didn't respect Central. But we made some adjustments in the second half and that helped.”
Based on play in the second quarter, it looked like both teams offenses were taking the game over. Hochstein got his name called on the first play of the second quarter. That pass from Martineau (11-for-19, 152 yards) traveled 23 yards.
In the meantime, Lennartz was getting warmed up for Central. A 17-yard pass play to Peter Brewster kept one drive going and the drive completed with his toss for 15 yards to Jordan Franco.
“We had such a great crowd,'' said Central coach Jason Schaal. “I'm so proud of this senior class. This is one the best games they have played this year.”
Hochstein's second score of the night came in the second quarter. It gave his Knights a solid lead at 20-6. However, one of those, Central senior Lennartz, wasn't ready to concede this game. He completed three straight passes as the frantic second quarter closed. That's when he found Przybylski with the first of his two 15-yard touchdown scoring plays. Central was within 8 points at halftime, 20-12.
Both Hochstein and Przbylski tallied in the third quarter.