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CRYSTAL LAKE — Crystal Lake Central football coach Jon McLaughlin remembers the first time he saw quarterback Colton Madura, as an eighth grader playing for the Crystal Lake Raiders.
Future Central players played on one youth team, with future Crystal Lake South players on the other.
“I said, ‘Do you have any magic in you tonight for the last game (against South)?’ " McLaughlin said.
Madura answered that a few hours later with an emphatic “Yes.”
[ Photos: Crystal Lake Central vs. Crystal Lake South ]
After missing three games with hip injury, the Tigers senior quarterback returned to help Central past South, 42-37, in a Fox Valley Conference game Friday night at Central’s Owen Metcalf Field. Madura ran for 168 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 207 and one touchdown.
Central (4-2, 4-2) needed every bit it could get from Madura, running back Brent Blitek (24 carries, 140 yards) and a defense that rose to the occasion late to stop the Gators (3-3, 3-3).
“It feels amazing to be 100% again,” Madura said. “I can’t wait for what’s in store for us later on in the season. We ran the ball a lot more (tonight). We did well running the ball, this was definitely a run-first game.”
South scored to get within 42-37 with 5:00 remaining on running back Nate Van Witzenburg’s fourth touchdown, a 1-yard run set up by quarterback Justin Kowalak’s 30-yard pass to wide receiver Brady Schroeder.
The Gators got a defensive stop then got the ball back on their own 36 with 2:35 remaining. Kowalak led the Gators on a potential winning drive, but defensive back Jackson Fleming picked off a pass at the 2 with just less than a minute remaining to seal the outcome.
“I was so excited for (Fleming),” defensive end Braydon Gibour said. “He didn’t really start until Dundee-Crown (last week). He got his opportunity and he just shined. He’s a playmaker out there.
“We started off a little slow on the defensive end in the first half, but we made some adjustments and everyone was doing their part and we pulled through.”
Gibour had the first of two huge plays in the second half for the Tigers. South punter Kevin Landa received a high snap and ran down the ball near the goal line. Gibour blocked the punt, then recovered the ball in the end zone for a 35-24 lead.
On the final play of the third quarter, facing fourth-and-18 on South’s 28, Madura hit wide receiver George Dimopoulos in the end zone.
“That was a big one,” Madura said. “I just saw he got separation on the guy and I threw it up to him and he made a big play.”
Central finished with 536 yards to South’s 364. Kowalak was 15 of 27 for 253 yards and Van Witzenburg carried 23 times for 116 yards.
“The guys had good fight,” Gators coach Rob Fontana said. “It was the right play call (at the end) to get them on their heels and move the pocket. We took a shot at it and they made a great play.
“With Madura back, he’s a scary kid with the football in his hands. He made us pay over and over and over again.”
Central overcame 17 penalties for 175 yards to get the victory.
“We need to clean up some things, but overall our kids were gritty,” McLaughlin said. “We played for 48 minutes and didn’t panic once. It was a good victory all the way around.”
Crystal Lake Central 42, Crystal Lake South 37
CL South 24 0 6 7 – 37
CL Central 14 14 14 0 – 42
First quarter
CLS–Van Witzenburg 1 run (Landa kick), 10:50.
CLC–Madura 2 run (Carnrite kick), 6:31.
CLS–Van Witzenburg 14 run (Landa kick), 4:47.
CLS–LePage 21 pass from Kowalak (Landa kick), 2:47.
CLC–Madura 51 run (Carnrite kick), 1:20.
CLS–FG Landa 31, 0:17.
Second quarter
CLC–Blitek 4 run (Carnrite kick), 8:48.
CLC–Madura 9 run (Carnrite kick), 0:11.
Third quarter
CLC–Gibour recovered blocked punt in end zone (Carnrite kick), 6:32.
CLS–Van Witzenburg 3 run (pass failed), 1:56.
CLC–Dimopoulos 28 pass from Madura (Carnrite kick), 0:00.
Fourth quarter
CLS–Van Witzenburg 1 run (Landa kick), 5:00.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–CL South: Van Witzenburg 23-116, Prokos 1-1, Kowalak 8-minus 6. Totals: 32-111. CL Central: Madura 21-168, Blitek 24-140, Penza 1-2, Team 1-minus 1. Totals: 47-329.
PASSING–CL South: Kowalak 15-27-1-253. CL Central: Madura 14-26-1-207.
RECEIVING–CL South: Prokos 8-127, LePage 3-62, Schroeder 2-39, Hess 2-18, Van Witzenburg 1-7. CL Central: Carnrite 4-24, Dimopoulos 3-66, C. Fleming 3-57, Penza 2-39, Stanger 1-8, Blitek 1-4.
TOTAL TEAM YARDS–CL South 364, CL Central 536.