What more could Tyler Knight possibly do for Maine South?
After a two-hour lightning delay, the 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound quarterback/safety/kicker had piled up 250 total yards, scored three touchdowns, kicked a 35-yard field goal, boomed a 60-yard punt and batted away a pass in the end zone against Warren in Saturday’s Class 8A playoff game in Gurnee.
Yet here was Warren driving in the final 28 seconds to set up a game-winning field goal. Who would make the game-saving interception but . . .
. . . Adam Blandin.
“That was such a huge interception,” Knight said of the pick at the Maine South 30 that finally clinched a dramatic 24-23 victory.
The Hawks (10-1) will travel to Lincolnshire on Saturday to face Stevenson (11-0) in the quarterfinals.
“I’m not going to lie–I was pretty nervous during Warren’s last drive,” Knight said. “That’s a pretty good kicker they’ve got (Jason Seveska), and I know he wanted a chance to win the game.”
Seveska’s missed PAT at the end of the third quarter was the difference in this back-and-forth struggle.
Warren (9-2) grabbed the early lead after Mitchell Moore (19 carries, 182 yards) broke loose on a 74-yard touchdown run. A 34-yard Knight pass to Jimmy Coy (six catches, 110 yards) set up a 2-yard quarterback sneak.
After Seveska’s 30-yard field goal, Knight tallied from the 1. Then came receiver Marcus Lewis’ spectacular 28-yard TD pass play that culminated with the 6-3 Northern Illinois recruit diving past Maine South defenders and extending the football across the goal-line plane.
Knight’s field goal made it 17-17 at halftime. Joe DeVries’ 14-yard fade pass to Lewis gave the Blue Devils a 23-17 lead.
Knight’s 2-yard run and game-winning PAT kick came with 7:51 left.
“I’ll do whatever it takes for us to win,” Knight said.
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bsakamoto@tribune.com
