It all came down to one last play.
Underdog Conant had fourth-and-goal at the Maine South 1-yard line in overtime of Saturday’s Class 8A playoff opener in Park Ridge.
Conant quarterback Rick Szkorla (24 carries for 108 yards) had been finding creases all afternoon.
This time Szkorla was met first by defensive tackle Pat O’Mara. The second hit came from defensive end Alex Dardi. Finally, 6-foot-3-inch, 275-pound Matt Saccomanno fell on Szkorla, who came up just short of the goal line in Maine South’s dramatic 21-14 victory.
Maine South (8-2) will face Barrington (8-2) in the second round.
“I fought off the block from their center and got both of the quarterback’s knees,” said O’Mara, a 6-3, 235-pound junior. “I knew help would be coming.”
“I grabbed him and pushed him backward,” said Dardi, a junior.
Leading off the overtime, the Hawks were stymied on the first three plays.
On fourth down, quarterback Jimmy Coy scrambled to avoid the rush and fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to K.C. Kaage.
“I saw Coy in trouble and I came back so he could see me,” said Kaage, who wound up being the fourth option. “He hit me with it and I just hung onto the ball.”
Conant (6-4) went ahead 7-0 after Braden Heath’s 3-yard run in the first quarter. The Hawks tied it on Coy’s 5-yard run in the second quarter.
Heath’s 31-yard run near the end of the third quarter made it 14-7.
Another Coy 5-yard run tied it at 14-14 midway through the fourth.
What was it like for the Hawks’ defense to finally bask in a little glory?
“It feels phenomenal,” O’Mara said.
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bsakamoto@tribune.com
