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CRYSTAL LAKE – “I’m getting chills,” Crystal Lake South offensive lineman Kevin Amren hollered from the sideline in the final seconds of Saturday night’s game against Crystal Lake Central.
The Gators were about to take the ball back with seven seconds to play and assume the victory formation. Quarterback Luke Nolan knelt once to seal the Gators' 28-14 Fox Valley Conference crossover win and set off party on the visiting side of Crystal Lake Central's Owen Metcalf Field.
"Last year, we lost by just a touchdown, so when I knew we were going to win and go back out there, I got overwhelmed and it just felt like – cry almost, just to cry to know that we won and we beat our crosstown rival," Amren said.
The Gators (3-1) scored 28 unanswered points Saturday to avenge last season's rivalry loss, their first to the Tigers (2-2) since 1999.
"It's big redemption for them, big redemption," Crystal Lake South coach Chuck Ahsmann said. "It means a lot. You've got to live the rest of your life at reunions seeing these guys probably around town and stuff and at the big Crystal Lake festival, so that's big, you get to brag every year."
Early on it looked like South was happy to slug it out between the tackles like Central loves to do.
Rushing touchdowns by Braden Bisram and Shawn Kysksa gave the hosts a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
"Even though we had some success early on, I never felt like we got in a really good rhythm, running all the backs and so on," Crystal Lake Central coach Jon McLaughlin said.
Once South opened up the downfield pass, however, things changed.
"We felt like we could take advantage of some mismatches in their secondary versus our receivers, and Luke can throw the ball, so as long as we protected him, we felt like we could have some success doing that," Ahsmann said.
With 3:36 left in the first half, Nolan found Matt Meyers, who sprinted down the sideline for a 76-yard score to get the visitors on the board.
The Gators struck quickly on their next series, as well. Nolan rolled to his right and hit Drew Murtaugh deep over the middle for a 54-yard touchdown with 1:01 left in the half.
Suddenly the score was tied at 14, and the Gators' sideline was electrified.
"The first big pass play down the sideline got us right back in the game, 14-7, that changed the momentum a little bit," Ahsmann said. "And certainly, the bootleg pass where we tied it, you could just see the wind come out of their sails a little bit."
The Gators carried the momentum right into the second half. A good kick return gave the visitors a short field, and Nolan's quarterback sneak made it 21-14 with 9:05 left in the third.
The final momentum swing came early in the fourth quarter. With a first-and-goal at the 6, Central was threatening to tie the score. On first-and-goal, however, the Tigers fumbled the snap. Crystal Lake South's Michael Swiatly fell on it, giving the Gators the ball at their own 5-yard line with 9:02 left to play.
"The fumble right at the goal line just killed us," McLaughlin said. "It just kind of took the wind out of our sails a little bit. They went up and I thought we were ready to punch back at them and a (bad) snap happens."
South marched down the field with a 17-play drive, capped by Nolan's 12-yard touchdown pass to Scott Coughlin. The 95-yard drive took 7:07 off the clock and gave South a 28-14 lead with 1:55 to play.
"When our quarterbacks and wide receivers have confidence that they can score touchdowns, we gain confidence," Amren said. "All we need is a little confidence to build up and to open our holes for our running back then. And we knew we could just pound it down the field then at that point."
Nolan finished 16 of 22 for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Meyers caught seven of those for 149 yards.
"Our line knew that they could handle these kids," Nolan said. "I give it all to them and the wide receivers for sure."
The Gators’ offense outgained the Tigers, 351 yards to 155.