Cary-Grove completes second-half comeback against Prairie Ridge, takes lead in Fox Valley Conference race

CRYSTAL LAKE – Cary-Grove’s defense spent most of the first half chasing Prairie Ridge quarterback Luke Vanderwiel.

The Wolves junior ran the ball 26 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns, while the Trojans ran only 15 plays on offense.

Cary-Grove’s defense got the stop it desperately needed in the second half, forcing a punt on Prairie Ridge’s opening possession, to spark a wild comeback in an 18-12 win.

Just two plays into the Trojans’ next drive, 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior fullback Logan Abrams broke through the middle and ran untouched 78 yards to the end zone, shifting the game’s momentum.

Cary-Grove’s defense came up big one more time, forcing a turnover on downs on Prairie Ridge’s next drive, and the Trojans marched 75 yards to score the go-ahead points on an Abrams’ 2-yard run.

A hook-and-ladder play on fourth-and-20 came up only 1 yard short for the Wolves on their final attempt, and the Trojans completed the comeback to take sole possession of first place in the Fox Valley Conference.

The Trojans’ sidelines and fans erupted in loud cheers when Abrams broke free for his huge run of 78 yards.

“We’re a really confident team. We know what we can do, but when we see plays like that, plays that model what Cary-Grove is all about, it gives us a little more of that confidence boost,” said senior linebacker Charlie Ciske, who had a sack and a blocked extra point.

Cary-Grove (5-0, 5-0 FVC) and Prairie Ridge (4-1, 4-1) entered Friday as the last two unbeaten teams in the FVC. The same scenario presented itself a year ago, when the Wolves held on for a 21-20 victory.

Prairie Ridge went on to win the conference championship, while C-G won its fourth Class 6A state championship.

Abrams, who also plays defensive end, had only 11 yards on three carries at halftime. He ended up with 119 yards and two touchdowns in C-G’s biggest game of the year. Senior running back Holden Boone tallied 90 yards on eight carries.

“Our offense really picked it up in the second half,” Abrams said. “Our coaches saw a lot of things, and we finally got those big runs. It really is a team effort. That entire second half, defense and offense, we got things going.”

After Prairie Ridge’s defense forced a punt on C-G’s first drive of the game, Prairie Ridge went 87 yards on 14 plays and scored on a brilliant run by Vanderwiel, who somehow evaded a slew of Trojans’ defenders for a 25-yard score. Prairie Ridge’s extra point attempt was blocked by Ciske.

Jadon Apgar answered with a 45-yard field goal for the Trojans, cutting the Wolves’ lead to 6-3 with 10:54 to go in the first half.

That set up an 18-play drive for Prairie Ridge that took 10 minutes, 38 seconds, as Vanderwiel scored from 1 yard out with 16.2 seconds remaining to grab a 12-6 lead at halftime after a missed extra point.

Vanderwiel finished with a game-high 185 yards rushing on 42 attempts. As a team, Prairie Ridge ran the ball 49 times.

“He’s definitely one of the better players around here,” Prairie Ridge coach Mike Frericks said of Vanderwiel. “He’s a game changer. It’s what we do with the option. He always has the ball in his hand. He always gets to make the decision, and I like those odds with him having the football.”

Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg said he felt momentum shift after the Trojans made a stop on defense to start the second half.

“I think we finally stuck them, and they didn’t go forward,” he said. “Every time we would hit them, they’d get an extra 2 yards. We told them at halftime, we’re going to pop one, and it’s always nice to have the players execute to show that. When we popped that one, it seemed like we gained momentum.

“[Prairie Ridge] is so efficient at what they do, so when you finally get a stop, you can feel the momentum shift.”

Cary-Grove senior quarterback Peyton Seaburg was 0-2 in his first two games against Prairie Ridge, but said there wasn’t any added pressure Friday. He and the Trojans kept a cool head.

“Obviously, there’s pressure, but we all block it out,” Seaburg said. “It’s the same every single game. We just go through what we’re supposed to do and execute on the field and block all the noise. ... We’ve got a team this year, and I feel like we displayed that tonight with our defense and special teams.”