There’s nothing like the first time a high school football team makes it to the state semifinals.
The town of Lake Zurich had posted signs everywhere, proclaiming allegiance to its Bears. Fans were saving bleacher seating with blankets five hours before the kickoff of Friday night’s Class 7A showdown against Prospect.
One fan arrived at 10 a.m. to stake his claim to a 50-yard line spot.
But before the night was done, Prospect quarterback Jared Dall was the talk of the town after leading the Knights to a 41-18 triumph before the largest crowd in Eide Field history, a throng estimated at 7,000-plus.
Defending 7A champion Prospect (11-2) will face either Stagg (10-2) or Edwardsville (11-1) for the state championship next Saturday in Champaign.
One of the best-kept secrets in Illinois high school football, Dall blitzed the Bears by rushing for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries while completing 9-of-12 passes for 143 yards and three scores.
Lake Zurich coaches, players and fans had nothing but praise for Dall.
“There’s nothing like the feeling of going Downstate,” Dall said. “Our goal all along was to get back to Champaign, but we ran into some tough times with the losses to Buffalo Grove and Hersey.
“But the effort of this team is undying. I’m so proud of everyone for not quitting. We’ve got a guy like Nick Iovino [five catches for 97 yards, three TDs] who is 5 feet 7 inches of all heart. I’ve got all the confidence in Nick that when I throw the ball up, he’ll come down with it against guys much bigger than him.”
Dall and the 144-pound Iovino were a stellar combo in the first half. Dall had two touchdown passes to Iovino and rushed for 148 yards. In addition to his pair of TDs, Iovino also had an interception that set up his first scoring catch.
“Jared and I have been playing together for a while, and he just knows how to find me,” Iovino said. “He also puts the ball in the right spot all the time.”
The Knights’ Bryon Gattas opened the scoring with a 4-yard run early in the second quarter. After Iovino’s first TD catch, Lake Zurich (11-2) stormed back with two touchdowns in 59 seconds.
First came Chris McNeil’s 9-yard run followed by Nick Garlisch forcing a fumble by kick returner Mike Pullano that was recovered by Doug Moore at the Prospect 15. Two plays later, Bears QB Miles Beatty scored on a 14-yard run to make it 14-12.
With no timeouts left, Dall completed a 22-yard pass to Iovino, who started to go out of bounds, eluded a tackle and dove into the end zone :02 before halftime for a 21-12 Prospect lead.
