Too Close for Comfort

If the Knights were ever ripe for defeat, Saturday was the day. It had all the markings. Ridgewood a talented team that nearly beat the Knights last year was making this their game of the year. It was at Ridgewood, it was a Saturday afternoon game, the wind was howling from the west, but most of all it marked the end of a very emotional week at Kaneland.

The emotions of week primary effected the seniors and it showed on the field. It took the underclassmen to pick up the slack as they scored all the Knights points. However, the Knights gutted it out and in a very interesting game won by slimmest of margins 20-19. Moreover, Lincoln-way lost giving the Knights the longest winning streak in the state at 19.

A look at the stats can clearly show the impact the week had on the seniors. First senior receiver P.J. Fleck had only 2 catches for 13 yards. Senior Kurt Long had no yards rushing and just 16 yards receiving. Fellow senior running back Kyle Schrader although he averaged 13 yards a carry, only ran the ball 11 times and had no touchdowns. And finally senior quarterback Eric Delaney had 3 turnovers, while completing only 7 of 18 passes.

Meanwhile it was the underclassmen who picked up the slack beginning with sophomore Ryan Schrader accounting for the first Knights score with a 28 yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Schrader's play proved critical as the Knights couldn't muster more than 1 first down in the first quarter on three tries.

It was young Schrader's second interception of the quarter and was caused by a big pass rush of juniors Bryan Staker and Aaron Berkland.

Early in the second quarter the Rebels blocked a Kaneland punt (one of three blocked kicks of the day) at the Kaneland 35. They moved the ball 25 yards in 10 plays and had to settle for a field goal.

Then with just 4 1/2 minutes left in the half Rebel DB Rosario Terracciano picked off a Kaneland pass and returned it 30 yards for a Ridgewood touchdown and for the first time all season the Knights trailed 10-7.

But it took the Knights just 2 plays to regain the lead. Starting with the ball on the 20, Kyle Schrader found a seam and rambled 35 yards to the Rebel 45. McKeown then caught a Delaney pass and legged out the final 30 yards for Kaneland's second TD. The Extra point was blocked and the score stood 13-10 going into half time.

Kaneland had only 21 plays from scrimmage in the first half to Ridgewood's 44!

Things didn't turn around for the Knights in the second half as the offense continued to stall. Ridgewood continued to play tough and on their second possession was able to move with the wind scoring their second touchdown from 20 yards out on a Sam Palazzo pass reception and nice run. It was Palazzo's only TD of day (he had 15 in 4 games coming into the contest).

The Knights went into the final quarter trailing 17-13. The Knights had the wind to their backs and the Rebels had the ball. The bad news was the the Rebels like having the ball and wouldn't give it up.

They burned up half the quarter running 14 plays all on the ground. On the 12th play the Rebels scored on a end around, but it was called back because of a holding penalty. As a result with half the quarter gone the Rebels finally punted from the Knights 32. But against the stiff wind it went just 12 yards.

However the Knights could not move the ball and after a sack and two incomplete passes it was the Knight's turn to punt. A bad snap and the ball sailed into the end zone where punter McKeown smartly fell on it for a Rebel safety. Ridgewood now lead 19-13. McKeown quick reaction was a critical play since if he hadn't covered the ball it would have been a touchdown for Ridgewood and the game would have been over.

"We haven't covered that situation in three weeks," said coach Joe Thorgesen. "But I'm sure glad McKeown remembered what to do in that situation."

From the 20 McKeown booted one with the wind and Ridgewood had the ball on their own 35 yard line with only 5:14 left in the game. The Rebels feature back Palazzo was out of game with leg cramps. Then just two plays into the drive the Rebels next best runner Angelo Douros went down with a ankle injury. With a new backfield the Rebels had to punt.

With 3:52 left the Knights had one last try for a win starting from their own 43. On the first play from scrimmage Kaneland had yet another fumble, but sophomore center Adam Schultz alertly fell on it and Knights stayed open for business.

Then on a third and 3 Schrader found a hole for 21 yards to the Rebel 29 yard line. 2:20 left. Pass incomplete. 2:08 left. Pass over the middle to McKeown. Bingo, he turns outside and brakes loose for the most import touchdown of the season.

But it wasn't over as Ridgewood has already blocked two Kaneland punts and a point after. But junior Josh Dimitri split the uprights and the Knights where on top 20-19 with 1:58 to go.

But the Rebels didn't say die as they got the ball on the 33 and went into their two minute offense. They moved the ball to the Knights 32 when QB Butch DeFelice got sick and begun vomiting on the field. He was replaced by wide receiver Renzo Berardi with 42 seconds left.

Two plays later the ball was on the Kaneland 23 and with just 5.03 seconds left. The Rebels tried a 30 yard field against the wind. It feel short of the goal line and the Knights had managed to hang on for the win.

It was the second straight year Ridgewood had a chance to beat Kaneland with a last second field goal, fortunately for the Knights one was blocked and one was into a stiff wind.

"We were out of kilter today," summarized Thorgesen. "We had an erratic week of practice and a lot of distractions."

"Words don't describe how bad I played," commented Delaney. "We didn't have a good week of practice. But I have no excuses. I wasn't hitting the open man. I was making bad decisions."

But Delaney did make a good decision when it counted in the Knights last play of the game where he scrambled out trouble and found McKeown for the final touchdown. "I broke containment in the pocket and broke outside," the QB said. "I was the most relieved guy on earth when he scored."

Even though the Rebels ran more plays than the Knights 64 to 37 the Knights had more yards 269 to 197.

The Knights came up on the short end in the Sophomore game 16-6. Ridgewood scored first for an 8-0 lead. Wayne Shaw playing quarterback for the first time ended a Kaneland drive in the second quarter with a 1 yard quarterback sneak to bring the score to 8-6. To continue their streak of not converting an extra point all year the Knights failed on the 2-point conversion.

In the second half the Knights couldn't cross the goal line, as the Rebels tacked on another TD and conversion for the final score.

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