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SOUTH ELGIN – Converting two fourth quarter turnovers into touchdowns, South Elgin broke open its home Upstate Eight West Division game Friday against Bartlett for a 48-25 victory.
With the win, the Storm retained possession of the Rivalry Bell trophy and move one game closer to being playoff eligible.
The fourth quarter opened with South Elgin ahead 27-25.
With less than six minutes to play in the game, the Storm’s Vincenso Tusa picked off a Vincent Yario pass at Bartlett’s 16- yard line. Two plays later, South Elgin quarterback John Ginnan connected with Jermiah Carrera for a 12-yard TD pass to increase the Storm’s margin to 34-25.
Bartlett’s next drive ended with a fumbled snap at their own 33-yard line. An offensive penalty backed the ball up 15 yards. Ginnan handed the ball to Darrion Thurman for four straight plays, and the junior grounded out the yardage and crossed the goal line on a 4-yard rush increasing South Elgin’s lead by seven more points with 3:43 left on the clock.
The Hawks’ next possession ended at their 24-yard line after a failed fourth down conversion. Thurman needed only three rushing play to score his third TD, on a 5-yard ramble. The junior finished the night gaining 157 yards on 24 plays.
“In the second half, we did a real nice job of running the ball. I thought we did a really nice job up front with our offensive line. Our running game was really clicking,” South Elgin coach Pat Pistorio said.
“Due to the fact that we have a lot of one-way players we were able to sustain momentum and carry through. Our defense came up with some big turnovers. A great overall team win.”
“They trusted me. They gave me the ball and I kept going and going until I scored,” said Thurman.
South Elgin (4-3, 4-1) led 7-3 after the first quarter. The Storm countered Oliver Chrapek’s 33-yard field goal with Thurman’s first touchdown, a 1-yard plunge.
Bartlett (2-6, 2-2) led 19-14 at halftime. Chrapek kicked a 32-yard field goal, Yario scored on a one-yard keeper and Tyler Meziere hauled in a 20-yard Yario TD pass.
A 49-yard bomb from Ginnan (11 for 16 for 173 yards) to Ishmael George kept the Storm within a score.
The Storm regained the lead in the third quarter. Ginnan connected with Cole Jurcy for a 66-yard scoring pass. After taking a lateral from Ginnan, George tossed a 16-yarder to Jurcy, who was in the end zone.
The Hawks stayed within striking distance on Yario’s second rushing TD, a two-yarder.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20241011/prep-football/south-elgin-pulls-away-from-bartlett-late/