Crystal Lake Central advances to Class 6A quarterfinals with 14-7 win over Deerfield

CRYSTAL LAKE — Crystal Lake Central coach Jon McLaughlin thought his defense was in for a long night in its second-round game against Deerfield.

The Warriors scored on two plays and took an early lead after an offensive mishap in the Class 6A matchup on Friday night.

That would be the lone blemish for the Tigers defense, which stepped up to limit Deerfield to that one score and lead Crystal Lake Central to the quarterfinals after a 14-7 win.

“Sometimes the offense is bailing out the defense and sometimes the defense is bailing out the offense, it’s part of being a team,” McLaughlin said. “I’m really proud of the kids and their effort.”

The Crystal Lake Central defense got the stops when it mattered the most. Down 14-7, Deerfield had a chance to tie the game toward the end of regulation with a long drive. The Warriors started at their own 4-yard line with over eight minutes left in the game.

The Warriors drove the ball past midfield to the Tigers’ 30-yard line, but the Crystal Lake Central defense forced two straight incomplete passes to get the ball back on fourth down with over two minutes left in the game. The Tigers earned a first down to run out the clock.

“It was a physical game between two very good football teams,” Deerfield coach Steve Winiecki said. “In the end, they made a couple more plays than we did.”

Deerfield earned that early lead when Crystal Lake Central fumbled the ball on its own 37-yard line. After a 9-yard run, the Warriors scored on a Austin Layette 24-yard pass to Luke Jones with 7:55 left in the first quarter.

The two teams exchanged possessions before the Tigers offense took control. Quarterback Colton Madura found Jason Penza running down the middle of the field and Penza took to the end zone for 86 yards, tying the game with 9:44 left in the second quarter.

Central again scored on its next drive, moving the ball down the field thanks to a Deerfield pass interference in the end zone. Madura found the end zone again, this time throwing to Jacob Carnrite, who made an impressive catch to give his team a 14-7 lead with 3:37 left in the second quarter.

“We’ve got some gritty kids,” McLaughlin said. “They don’t hang their heads and keep fighting for 48 minutes. I’m proud of their effort.”

Madura completed seven of his 12 passes for 144 yards and added 87 yards on the ground. Brent Biltek added 61 yards on the ground.

The Tigers offense struggled in the second half. After the defense blocked a Deerfield punt and gave the offense the ball at the Deerfield 3, the Tigers offense couldn’t come up with a score.

They also struggled in the fourth quarter, when they had the ball at the Deerfield 3 on fourth down and failed to score.

But the Tigers defense stopped any movement by Deerfield, limiting running back to Luke Woodson to 104 rushing yards but not much else for the offense.

“That was all defense there,” Madura said. “That was a defensive game.”

Central moves on to the Class 6A quarterfinals and will play top-seeded Cary-Grove. The two teams met earlier in the season in a 48-14 win for C-G. The Tigers are ready for another battle.

“We’re ready to go at full strength,” Madura said. “I think it’s going to be a good game.”