Hide Article Text (OCR)
Harper Rallies But Falls To Touted Tritonby JIM STUARTIf you had told Harper College football coach John Eliasik with about eight minutes to play that he would have a shot at a tie with mighty Triton College on Saturday, he would never have believed you.Because with that much time showing on the East Leyden High School scoreboard. Eliasik’s Hawks had just seen a long drive go for naught when Triton took over on downs on its own 11-yard line. The score at the time was 2(M) in favor of the host Warriors.Harper didn't get the tie. The final was 20-12, but what happened in those final eight minutes could bring pride to the entire Hawk team.The last-gasp effort at a tie was really only that, since Harper had only 10 seconds to work with after recovering a Triton fumble on the Warrior 43. Quarterback Ken Leonard, who had performed ao brilliantly In the final period, had to face an eight-man secondary in his only play and ended up eating the hall as time ran out.But the rebuff of the final try could not blunt the display of execution and poise during the exciting comeback.When the Hawks lost the ball on the 11, their defense came in and did what it had done for most of the day, although the score would say otherwise, and that’s to dig in and stop the Warriors.Four Triton plays netted exactly one yard, and the kick carried to a yard into Harper territory. Ken Memken took the ball on the ground to the Triton 43, and then Leonard quickly went to work.Leonard first hit Rob Kruse with a pass that took the Hawks all the way to the 21 with the help of a personal foul call, and then connected with tight end Kevin Sullivan for Harper’s first touchdown on the very next play.The attempted pass for the conversion was no good, but the Hawks had proved they could move and score against the top-rated junior college in the state.More important, they proved they could pass. All day the aerial attempts of Leonard and Bob Jorgensen had been off target, due in a large part to the great deal of pressure exerted by a tough Triton line. But now the Hawk line was starting to get tough also, and suddenly the protection was there.Triton started a drive on its own 20 and moved to the Harper 48, but on a third and 13 Martin Epperly sacked the Triton quarterback for a nine-yard loss and forced the Warriors to kick.This time Harper had to start from its own 23. but with the help of a pass interference call on Triton and the execution of two • must” plays, it turned into the best Hawk drive of the afternoon.The first crucial play came on a third-and-six from its own 42 with about four and a half minutes remaining. Leonard hit Rich Posinger with a strike good for a first down on the Triton 36, from where the drive temporarily stalled.But on fourth and seven from the 33, I^eonard fooled the whole house by handing to Posinger who darted off tackle tor 11 big yards and another first down.Now the passing lanes were open again, and Leonard hit first Sullivan and then Kruse with passes to take the Hawks to the three. An anxious moment passed when the Hawk QB recovered his own fumble, and then he connected once more with Kruse for the score.The conversion again failed, which nobody really noticed but which could have turned out to be a factor since, with only 19 seconds left. Triton coughed up tne football on its first play from scrimmage after the kickoff and gave Harper that last chance.In spite of the shellacking Harper took for most of the game, the Hawks were not all that outplayed. They actually out-gained Triton 238-187 and could have made it a real struggle had it not been for several early bad breaks.Not one Triton touchdown came on a drive of more than half the field, as the Warriors got excellent field position twice through short punts and ooce due to a fumble.Tout Yards Gained —T187HYards Gained Ru.hlng15686Yards Gained PassingTotal First Downs -Yards Penalized__. 31 - 15 MU1531690Fumbles. Lost ---Triton:Haruteln_______Hurst .......................---------- 3 1HI SUING STATISTICS Me Yd. Avg---6 15 30......... R IS 19Purpv ... _fi566.0,ur|) ............*Rumlshek_____________IS674 3Nsbomwskl--McKinney -Harper:Leonard --3.—:--1-.--IS03' -*00 10•0.5Stahl ____7314.4Memken ----Pnslnver _ ___ _ ._____ 7_______a45R6.430Henrtott--3 10PASSINO STATISTICS Triton: \ AM C*sa YdsHufnt_______1 3 3150lat0McKinney--Harper:leonard___-1........ 33 110 0 13401Jorgensen |^^|0 STATISTICS TritonsCixinate_____1 18 0Ne Tda___1 IS113Harper:Vacrartno -—-Kruse -Memken -RamboSullivan -Posinger-----_1_I_1_1. .. .4 _18SO1394132Hawks 2nd In Region Golf Meet• They were a little worried.” said Roger Becbtold in reference to Lake County’s crack golf team. After the first day’s play at the Region IV championships. Bechtold’s Hawks only trailed the Lancers by two strokes.“They didn't expect any team to be that rinse to them continued Rechtnld
Newspaper Details
Roselle Herald
Roselle, Illinois, US
Mon, Oct 30, 1972
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Indian T.
IL, AF 16 Mar 2017
Other Publications Near Roselle, Illinois
Roselle Register
Roselle Herald
