Crystal Lake South follows lines to win over McHenry

McHENRY – Crystal Lake South’s Des McCarthy and JR Hewitt play on opposite sides of the ball, but both were highly appreciative of the work done in front of them.

“I was just thankful for the O-line, it was there for me every play,” said McCarthy, who rushed 24 times for 159 yards. “They were aggressive down in the trenches. The field was torn up pretty bad. They were in there getting holes for me. It made my life a lot easier.”

Hewitt shared a similar viewpoint from his linebacker spot.

“Our defensive line was just animals,” Hewitt said. “That gave our linebackers open shots and left it open for our [defensive backs] to make plays.”

McCarthy’s effort led the offense, while the Gators’ defense came up with four turnovers as they defeated McHenry, 14-7, on Friday in their Fox Valley Conference game at McCracken Field.

The win left South (4-3, 4-3 FVC) one win from becoming playoff eligible with Jacobs and Prairie Ridge remaining on its schedule. McHenry (3-4, 3-4) must win out against Crystal Lake Central and Hampshire to reach the postseason.

The Gators constantly harassed Warriors quarterback Chris Zieba and came up with several sacks and three interceptions. They also stopped one first-half drive with a fumble recovery.

“It started up front,” Gators coach Rob Fontana said. “They were able to get into the backfield. From there, they forced their quarterback to use a couple throws he probably wishes he had back. Our defense is what carried us today, and getting those turnovers is ultimately what iced this game for us. They played outstanding.”

McCarthy took it hard when he fumbled on McHenry’s 30 with 3:20 remaining. He had a first down on the play before the ball was knocked loose. South linebacker Shane Moran sealed the outcome with the Gators’ final interception.

“I’m really glad these guys fought tonight and pulled this one out,” Fontana said. “We knew to put ourselves in a good situation we needed to get this one.”

Hewitt said the idea was to attack up front and that linemen Jason Burburija, Dom Collado, Charlie Perdikaris and Gabe Wisler got the job done.

“We wanted to trust our instincts and play downfield,” Hewitt said. “We wanted to lock down (No.) 34 (Brody Hallin), and besides that one long run, that’s what we did.”

McCarthy capped the game’s first drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. Freshman Nathan Van Witzenburg scored on a 6-yard run in the third quarter for a 14-0 lead. Paving the way for both runners were Collado, Danny Delatorre, Patrick Delahunty, Jack Turner and Nate Compere.

McHenry answered on the next series when Hallin got loose for a 68-yard touchdown. The Warriors drove to South’s 15 early in the fourth quarter, but Hallin was stopped on fourth-and-3 for a 1-yard gain.

“They did a good job with their fronts, putting pressure on Chris and switching up their looks,” Warriors coach Jon Niemic said. “But we hurt ourselves, too. Anytime you have four turnovers, you’re not going to win a lot of ballgames.”

Hallin finished with 18 carries and 139 yards for the Warriors.

“We control our own destiny,” Niemic said. “That’s what I told them. You win out, you’re in the playoffs. We have to take care of business next week at (Crystal Lake) Central, which is not an easy place to play.”

STAR OF THE GAME

Des McCarthy

Crystal Lake South, sr., RB

McCarthy carried 24 times for 159 yards and a touchdown as the Gators beat McHenry. He carried for 60 of the Gators’ 70 yards in their drive that ended with his 5-yard touchdown run.

Crystal Lake South 14, McHenry 7

CL South 7 0 7 0 – 14

McHenry 0 0 7 0 – 7

First quarter

CLS–McCarthy 5 run (DiBenedetto kick), 8:16.

Third quarter

CLS–Van Witzenburg 6 run (DiBenedetto kick), 5:12.

M–Hallin 68 run (Gasmann kick), 4:16.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–CL South: McCarthy 24-159, Van Witzenburg 5-39, Jewson 1-31, Kowalak 7-12, Team 1-minus 1, Gorken 2-minus 13. Totals: 40-227. McHenry: Hallin 18-139, Zieba 9-16, Gureczny 4-9. Totals: 31-164.

PASSING–CL South: Kowalak 6-11-0-76, Gorken 1-5-0-13. McHenry: Zieba 2-8-3-15.

RECEIVING–CL South: Gieda 4-32, Jewson 2-44, Van Witzenburg 1-13. McHenry: Kaempf 1-8, Benton 1-7.

TOTAL TEAM YARDS–CL South 316, McHenry 179.