After an exhilarating 23-17 win against the Libertyville Wildcats, the Lake Forest Varsity Football Team will advance to the third round of the playoffs against Geneva High School this Saturday at 1 p.m.
What an exciting Week 8 matchup between the Scouts and Wildcats that ended in Lake Forest handing Libertyville their only loss of the regular season, the two teams faced off again in the second round of the IHSA 6A Playoffs.
The regular season game between the Scouts and Wildcats came down to the last two minutes where the Scouts outlasted a game-tying drive to win 42-35. Similar to Week 8, the playoff meeting was another classic that came down to the wire.
“Going into the game, we were really excited to get a second chance to beat them and to prove ourselves again. It’s not often you get to play your rival twice, so we knew we had to make the most of the opportunity,” senior DL Finn Goodman said.
Unlike the previous matchup, the Scouts had their turn to start things off on offense. Without wasting any time, this rivalry game had its typical excitement with the Scouts attempting a 4th & 1 on their own 26-yard line on the first drive of the game. Unable to convert, the Wildcats took over with great field position. Despite Libertyville moving backwards throughout the series, the Wildcats converted a 25-yard pass on 4th & 7 to continue the drive. On the next play, Libertyville completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 lead.
The Scouts looked to respond, putting together a promising drive that abruptly ended with an interception. But on just the third play of Libertyville’s second series, Charlie Markee intercepted Libertyville quarterback Quinn Schambow and returned it for six, tying the game at seven.
With a new scheme designed to shut down Libertyville’s strong passing game, Markee and RB Marty Hippel also contributed on the defensive side of the ball.
“Before our week of practice, I’d never thought I’d play a down of defense. [Markee] and I had never played a snap of varsity defense, but when coach Spagnoli introduced the package, I knew we had to be ready,” Hippel said. “I was confident the package would work, but I think it surpassed everyone’s expectations.”
After throwing a pick-six, Libertyville answered by capping a ten-play drive with a 38-yard field goal to retake the lead by three. With momentum shifting between the two teams, the Scouts put together a long drive of their own. On the 14th play of the series, QB Danny Van Camp found TE Luke Pasquesi for a 9-yard touchdown pass to put the Scouts ahead 14-10.
With time still left in the second quarter, Libertyville found themselves facing a 4th & 3 from Lake Forest’s 40-yard line. Continuing the aggression shown in the first quarter, the Wildcats decided to take their chances. But a diving tackle from LB Nick Angelos prevented a first down, giving the ball back to the Scout offense. Another methodical drive from Lake Forest ended with senior Tim Dan kicking a 38-yard field goal to give the Scouts a 17-10 lead late in the second quarter. The Scouts continued to shut down Libertyville’s offense as Markee intercepted Schambow for the second time, closing out the first half.
“I loved being able to contribute on both sides of the ball. Coach Spagnoli prepared us for that defense, and I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time. For my first time ever playing defense, it was an amazing feeling,” Markee said.
In contrast with the first half, the second half contained no scoring until late in the fourth quarter as the Scouts and Wildcats exchanged time consuming drives that ultimately ended in punts. But with a little under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Libertyville tied the game at 17 with a 19-yard touchdown pass. With another Scouts-Cats coming down to the wire, Lake Forest looked to put together a game winning drive to send the Scouts to the Sectional Final. However, the Scouts were forced to punt, giving the ball back to the Wildcats with four minutes left in the game. Successfully moving the ball downfield, the Wildcats looked as if they would win the game. But on 3rd & 9 from the Scouts’ 39-yard line, Hippel forced an incomplete pass to bring up fourth down and a Libertyville punt with under two minutes to play. Pinned on their own 1-yard line, the Scouts had one more chance to win the game in regulation.
“I didn’t think we were going to score from that spot on the field. I was certain that we would settle and go to overtime and try our chances there,” Van Camp said. “After the big play to Markee, then to Burger, our attitude towards winning the game became more aggressive. Eventually we were able to punch one in, showing what we’re capable of when our backs are against the wall.”
The Scouts began the drive by trying to get off the 1-yard line and avoid a potential safety, but a rush for little gain kept them pinned. With only 80 seconds left in the game, it seemed that the Scouts were going to take the game to overtime. But on the second play, Van Camp found Markee on a slant that went for 47 yards to revive the chances of a last second score. With Lake Forest now at midfield, Van Camp completed a 37-yard deep ball to sophomore WR Jack Burger to put the Scouts on Libertyville’s 19-yard line with under a minute left. Although well in field goal range, Van Camp completed a slant to Burger that took the Scouts to the Cat’s 3-yard line. After a spike to stop the clock, and Hippel being stopped short of the goal line, Van Camp rushed in the go ahead touchdown to give the Scouts a 23-17 point with six seconds left. The Wildcats attempted to tie the game with a throwback play on the kickoff, but a tackle made at midfield gave Lake Forest their second win over Libertyville this season.
“Being able to basically stand on the field made the game much more exciting. After the win, when all the players came over, it was super fun to be with the team. As students, we felt like we were a part of the win alongside the team,” senior Boden Rupprecht said.
With well thought out plays and talented athletes on both sides of the ball, the Scouts are guaranteed a strong finish to their season and will face off this weekend for the Sectional Championship title. If successful, they will move onto the State Semifinals.
