BOLINGBROOK – On a cold, windy Saturday night, the Bolingbrook Raiders and Oswego Panthers put on quite a show for the fans as the Raiders advanced to the quarterfinal of the IHSA Class 8A football playoffs with a 31-28 overtime win.
The past two seasons, Bolingbrook (8-3) lost in second round matchups. The last time they advanced this far was the state championship in 2011.
Bolingbrook looked in total control when Quincy Woods ran 19 yards on a right-side sweep from the quarterback position to take a 28-14 lead with 11:14 to go in the game.
Oswego answered that score with a 13-play drive that covered 64 yards and chewed up 5:30 of the final quarter. Panthers quarterback Steven Frank ran a sneak for the 1-yard touchdown to get to within 28-21. On that drive, Frank converted a big fourth-and-10 play with a 14-yard hookup to receiver Zachery West to the 1-yard line.
With 6:43 to go, Bolingbrook took control of the ball at its 20-yard line and methodically ran the ball down the field. With 2:00 to go, the Raiders converted a fourth-and-1 at the Oswego 25-yard line. They could do no more as quarterback Adam Klein was sacked on fourth down and Oswego took over at the 35 with 57 seconds left.
Frank led the Panthers down the field, going 3 for 4 to get Oswego to the Raiders’ 14-yard line with 0:12 to go. Frank then hit Ryan Hennessy over the middle to tie the game, 28-28.
Oswego took the first offensive possession in overtime and on the second play, Woods tipped a pass in the end zone and Tuf Borland made the interception.
Bolingbrook then took control with Woods back at quarterback. He ran two keepers to get the ball to the 3-yard line. Adam Klein came in and nailed the game-winning field.
Woods was all over the field for the Raiders as the senior played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and returned punts and kickoffs.
“I just read the quarterback’s eyes and jumped the route,” Woods said of the defensive play in overtime. “I tipped the ball and Tuf [Borland] was there to pick it off.
“I do what I’m asked to help this team. We are a family and after losing the last two years in the second round, this feels great for all of us.”
Klein, the starting quarterback and kicker/punter, also had a huge fake punt touchdown pass to Julian Huff on Bolingbrook’s first possession of the second half that covered 32 yards.
“We have had that play since the first game but we have been saving it,” he said.
Asked about Woods coming in to handle some of the quarterback duties, Klein said, “Anything to help us win. We were determined to win this game. It was a total team effort.”
Bolingbrook’s defense came up big all night in key situations. Huff and Borland, as they have done all season long, made it matter when it counted most.