By Mark Gregory
Editorial Director
@Hear_The_Beard
mark@buglenewspapers.com
When Plainfield North traveled to Minooka Friday night with both teams holding an identical 2-2 record, the game had that must-win feel in the air.
The winner of the Southwest Prairie tilt gave itself an easier road into the IHSA state playoffs needing to win just two of its remaining two games as opposed to the loser having only room for one more loss.
The host Indians got out to the fast start and then held off an Indian comeback to claim the 31-27 win and move to 3-2 on the season, winning three straight games.
“That was a huge deal. We dug ourselves an 0-2 hole, then got ourselves out of it, but we could have gone back into it,” said Minooka coach John Belskis. “I have to credit our defense. They played so well. We did a lot of good things offensively, but our lack of consistency is troubling right now and that is the thing we have to continue to work on. Our defensive coaches do a great job. We gave up some explosion plays which we don’t like. Usually when there is an explosion play, it is a missed tackle somewhere, but we are young. We have 17 juniors and two sophomores starting.”
Minooka would get the scoring going less than a minute into the game when Noah Ellens took the ball 72-yards for a score with 11 minutes, 40 seconds left to play in the opening quarter.
The Tigers answered back when Eben Heine hit Garret Cook for a 25-yard score to knot the game at 7-7.
Tobenna Enyi then ran in from 11-yards out to go up 13-7.
Minooka then rattled off three-straight scores when quarterback Seth Lehr (12-of-20, 179 yards, 2 TD, Int) hit Stevie Gonzalez from 42-yards out and Connor Etzkorn from 29 out and Mason Spivey connected on a 24-yard field goal to give the Indians a 24-13 lead at the break.
“Offensively, we shot ourselves in the foot too many times and the defense gave up too many big plays [in the first half]. We had two blown coverages and gave up 14 points, that is pretty easy pickings for them,” said North coach Tim Kane, “In the second half, both sides played better. We played a lot better in the second half.”
With 2:30 to play in the third quarter, North cut the lead when Heine hit Jaylon Tillman for a 62-yard score and took the lead in the closing minute of the quarter on a 60-yard interception return from
Logan Todorovic.
Less than two minutes into the final quarter, Minooka would go ahead again when Ellens (17 carries, 192 yards) would score from 19 yards out for his second touchdown of the game.
“Our offense gave up the defensive touchdown and gave them momentum and water bottles were flying, but we came right back and answered that,” Belskis said. “The play of the game was the third and 18 play where we hit Stevie over the middle and flipped the field and were able to come down and take the lead. I told the kids at the timeout that I don’t have anything on the sheet for third and 18, but that play has been good to us and we executed it well. One play doesn’t decide the game, but that play was huge.”
North would get the ball back and get inside the Minooka 10-yard line, but were unable to punch it in.
“It is a lot more fun when we come out on top, but their kids played hard, too,” Kane said. “We got the score and the lead and they went back up. Our defense made a great stop and we got the ball in there and it was disappointing to come up short. I am just proud of what the kids and how we came back in the second half. We came up short, now we just need to get back to work.”
Heine ended the game 10-for-20 for 166 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. He carried the ball 11 times for a team-bet 62.
“Eben is a competitor. He wants the ball in his hands and wants to make plays and he hates to lose,” Kane said. “A lot of kids want to win, but the ones you want are the ones that hate to lose.”
While Minooka took the first step of the two teams toward a playoff berth, on paper, both teams have enough winnable games to reach the needed five wins.
“I am happy for the kids. This senior class didn’t have a lot of luck their freshman and sophomore years and then they were riding the coat tails of last year’s seniors, so hopefully they have the confidence of what we did and build on that and keep it rolling,” Belskis said. “We need to carry this into next week and prepare for Central and see if we can get ourselves in a position to be a playoff team and a highly seeded playoff team.”