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/ aon rTniriKDepending on which side you’re on, perhaps it didn’t seem fair that the two best football teams in SICA (SICA - not just SICA North) had to duel it out under tropical storm conditions Friday night in Orland Park.To Richards coach Gary Korhonen, the sun may as well have beenshining.“This is really great,” Korhonen said as he stood in the rain after his Bulldogs toppled Sandburg, 22-7, in what was billed as the SICA showcaseof the year.“I DONT think it was an upset,” Korhonen continued. “I said before,I think we’re even with them.”On the worst night weather-wise of the season, Richards proved to be the better team. In fairness to Tom Seiiga’s Eagles, Friday’s game doesn’t necessarily put the Bulldogs on a higher plateau than the Eagles. Sandburg faithful can say, “Play it under dry conditions and see what happens.To which Richards can respond, “Well never know.”The only thing we know for sure is that on a night not fit for a dog, the Bulldogs fit their game plan to accommodate the terrible weather When the rain and wind were at its worst, Richards was at its bestThe gamebreaker came with 6:49 left to play, with Sandburg still very much in the game, trailing 14-7. Two foolish penalties - a delay of game and an offside - pushed a Bulldog drive in reverse back to the Eagle 40. On third-and-18, tailback Ron McGee went off tackle for 10 yards to the 30.THAT BROUGHT on fourth-and-eight, and with no reason to punt and no way to kick a field goal, the Bulldogs went for it. It was appropriate that with the game on the line, the fan noise reached a feverish pitch. At the same time, the unrelenting rain accelerated to a new high. This was it.The Eagles never did have a chance to pull the game out, as McGee broke through the line of scrimmage and squished his way 30 yards into the end zone. The contest was over on that play, although it didn’t end totally for Sandburg until a Mike Tams interception in the final minute. Another big play.All the big plays belonged to Richards Friday night. Prior to the game, Seliga said he felt that one play would directly or indirectly decide the game. If that were the case, Korhonen will take Dave Wojcik’s blocked punt and subsequent 30-yard touchdown run three minutes into the second quarter.It was Sandburg’s first punt of the night, after taking the opening kickoff 67 yards and scoring on an eight-yard eye opener from Jeff Parisi to Bill Marcordes, and then being unable to move the ball twice — first on thean upser. nornonenRichards’ 29 yard line after a fumble recovery, then on the Eagles’ own 44.“FIRST OF all, their opening drive was super, Korhonen said. “Then we block the punt and go in at the half down 7-6. The blocked punt reassured our confidence when we needed it in the first half ”The second half belonged to Richards, as Korhonen's team wasn’t about to see a repeat of the 7-6 setbacks it suffered to Thornridge earlier this season and to Sandburg last year.“In 21 years of coaching, I never lost a one-point game until last year,” Korhonen said. “Until we lost to Sandburg 7-6, then Reavis 15-14 and then Thornridge 7-6.”While Sandburg warmed up on the sidelines before the start of the second half, the Bulldogs took over the middle of the field, with quarterback Rob Pratl, tight end Rick Pratl, split end Shawn Wiggins and Wojcik enticing the rest of the players and Richards fans into a frenetic cheer. Even Korhonen, who later said he was “45 going on 17” as the game went on, helped lead the cheers with his coaches.“I NEVER try to degrade the enemy,” said Korhonen. “We were really ready to play the second half. Maybe we had a little more incentive. We needed to win this game. Our third quarter drive to open it up — that was great.”Pratl, who will never again play second fiddle to Parisi in high school ball, directed a 61-yard drive to open the half, and once again the Bulldogs used a big play to put the winning points on the board.From the Sandburg 40, Pratl unleashed a long pass into double coverage by Sandburg’s Mark Gappa and Tom DeVries. Wiggins and Gappa went to(Continued on Page C-6)
Newspaper Details
Orland Park Star
Orland Park, Illinois, US
Sun, Oct 20, 1985
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Cody L.
USA 20 Apr 2018
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