Antioch deals Grayslake Central loss to stay in the NLCC title chase

What was the point of the final three quarters?

If the first 12 minutes of the Antioch at Grayslake Central Thursday night football game was played without the lights, the score might have been the same. Up could have been down, left may have been right, and Grayslake Central's green jerseys should have been Antioch's white.

If the game was called after the first, fans in attendance could have caught the majority of the Bears game. If the game was called after the first, Antioch would have won 28-7. Instead, they played another 36 minutes, and Antioch won 56-28.

Antioch never even stepped foot inside the red zone until 8 minutes remained in the fourth quarter. All but one of its touchdowns came from 28 yards out or farther. Much, much farther.

Looking at a 14-0 score after a 28-yard Quade Moll run and a 28-yard throw-and-catch from Moll to Aiden Lennon, the Sequoits' wanted more.

"The two words we use is 'competitive stamina,'" said Antioch coach Brian Glashagel, "and we try to do the best we can to ignore the scoreboard."

Grayslake Central senior running back Kaiden Miller cut Antioch's lead in half with a goal-line rushing touchdown, but that would be the closest the Rams got all night - even after three more scores, from Miller and Guenther and Miller again. However, with that first touchdown, he moved into Grayslake Central's top spot as all-time points leader (254), passing Joey Valdivia.

But then a tsunami came 15 miles off the shores of Lake Michigan and washed out Grayslake Central's football team and field.

Aiden Lennon struck again for the Sequoits, this time a 66-yard rush. And then sophomore running back Martin Cohen wanted in. He ran off into the end zone from 76 yards away to resolve the first quarter.

At the beginning of the second, he ran for another touchdown, a 43-yarder. And then for good measure, quite literally, he ran for a 68-yard touchdown. He scored another one for 86 yards in the third quarter. Honestly, who needs a red zone anyway?

"The defense in the first half it seemed like as soon as they got off, they had to go back on, so they were pretty fatigued," said Glashagel.

It was a big score for Antioch, and it came in a big game.

Antioch (5-3) became playoff eligible and now plays a 1-6 Round Lake team for a clinched playoff berth.

As for Grayslake Central (5-3) it can secure its sixth win next Friday against Lakes.

And while both teams control their certain destiny next Friday, now only Antioch is a contender for a Northern Lake County Conference title, but that depends on 7-1 Grayslake North taking down undefeated Wauconda next week.

Both teams have important games next week, so rest and preparation are important. Until next Friday, every minute counts.

Should've just ended the game after the first quarter.