WOODSTOCK – For Woodstock North’s 20 seniors, it came down to this. Defeat Grayslake North and your high school football career goes on for at least one more game and you add a Fox Valley Conference Fox Division Championship trophy to your trophy case.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, that hardware will be heading to Grayslake North as the Knights defeated Woodstock North 49-29 eliminating the Thunder from the possibility of postseason play while earning a share of the FVC Fox Division Championship themselves with Prairie Ridge.
The margin of error was slim for Woodstock North (4-5, 4-2 FVC Fox) playing such a potent offense like Grayslake North (6-3, 5-1), led by Indiana recruit Titus Booker.
The Knights took the opening kickoff and quickly marched down the field and scored on a 10 play, 76-yard drive which took just under three minutes.
The Thunder had a chance to match, until a costly turnover at the Grayslake North 1-yard line gave the ball back to the Knights and kept the Thunder from tying the game. Grayslake North converted that turnover to seven points just a few plays later. This was one of three turnovers for the Thunder in a game they really couldn’t afford to make mistakes.
“We just made too many mistakes tonight against a team you can’t really afford to make mistakes against,” Woodstock North coach Jeff Schroeder said. “I felt like we matched up well against them, but you can’t turn the ball over. Tonight we did that too many times and in the end that was what probably cost us this game.”
Game Ball
Jeremy Haymond
Woodstock North
The Game Ball
The senior running back had a 56-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to pull the Thunder to within 13 points.
The Number
362
Yards rushing by Woodstock North on 44 carries.
The Big Play
Trailing 7-0, Woodstock North marched down to the Grayslake North one yard line, but turned the ball over resulting in a 99-yard touchdown drive by the Knights.
Grayslake North 49, Woodstock North 29
Grayslake North 21 14 7 7 - 49
Woodstock North 0 14 0 15- 29
HOW THEY SCORED
First Quarter
GN-Baker 19 yard pass from Gentile (Meyer Kick), 9:10
GN-Booker 70 run (Meyer Kick), 5:23
GN-Atwater 18 yard pass from Gentile (Meyer kick), 1:57
Second Quarter
WN-Haymond 56 run (Lagerstrom pass from Krenger), 11:49
GN-Booker 35 run (Meyer kick), 9:07
GN-Booker 26 run (Meyer kick), 3:56
WN-Plummer 2 run (kick failed), 0:37
Third Quarter
GN- Gentile 2 run (Meyer kick), 3:56
Fourth Quarter
WN-Krenger 8 run (Niese kick), 11:04
GN-Gentile 27 run (Meyer kick), 8:52
WN- Busch 3 run (Krenger run), 1:40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing-Grayslake North: Booker 24-271, Gentile 8-67, Oladunmoye 7-41, Kennedy 1-2, McIntosh 2-0. Totals 41-381.
Woodstock North: Plummer 16-124, Krenger 13-67, Busch 11-99, Haymond 2-54, Schmitt 1-9, Liebmann 1-9. Totals 44-362.
Passing-Grayslake North: Gentile 13-17-1-158.
Woodstock North: Krenger 3-10-1-47.
Receiving- Grayslake North:Atwater 4-64, Baker 4-34, Aikin 3-46, Martineau 2-14.
Woodstock North: Madson 1-29, Haymond 1-11, Busch 1-7.
Total Team Yards-Grayslake North 539, Woodstock North 409.
Sophomore Score- Grayslake North 35, Woodstock North 14