By MATT BEARDMORE - editorial@kcchronicle.com
East’s defense holds Bartlett
STREAMWOOD – This was far from a postseason effort on offense, but the St. Charles East football team’s defense was able to pull the Saints through again.
Bartlett’s penalties didn’t hurt, either.
East (5-2, 5-0 Upstate Eight) on Friday night won its fifth straight game and inched closer to an UEC title, defeating the Hawks, 7-3, at Millennium Field.
After giving up 41 points while losing its first two games this season, East has held its past five opponents to 14 points or fewer.
“We bent but didn’t break – that was a team effort the whole time,” East senior safety Matt Payne said.
With Bartlett trailing, 7-3, with less than 4 minutes remaining, Payne sacked Hawks quarterback A.J. Bilyeu and yanked the ball out, recovering it at the Saints’ 35-yard line.
“If I had one more high step, I would have been in the end zone,” Payne said. “We needed a play there.”
East’s defense forced three turnovers, including interceptions by junior Spencer Motley in the third quarter and one by sophomore Charlie Fisher with with 20 seconds left on a halfback pass from Bartlett senior Matt Kujak.
“It’s all heart. They did a great job every time Bartlett kept coming at us,” said Saints first-year coach Mike Fields, whose club is riding its longest winning streak since 2007 when it finished 8-3. “We seemed to have an answer for them. Sometimes things go your way.”
Things were not going Bartlett’s way, as the Hawks (2-5, 1-4 UEC) had an opportunity to score on their second possession of the second half.
After Andy Puccini (12 carries, 41 yards) drove to the 3-yard line, a 15-yard personal foul pushed the Hawks back. Junior Aaron Thabuteau, who carried 14 times for 75 yards, ran in for a 28-yard touchdown two plays later, but it was waved off on a holding penalty.
Bartlett’s drive ended on a missed 37-yard field goal attempt by junior Alex Busch.
“Penalties are what hurt us all year,” Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. “It’s disappointing. We had our opportunities.”
The Hawks won’t be playoff-bound this fall for the first time in 10 seasons.
“I know the seniors have a lot of heart and are going to put a lot of time into this week,” said Meaney, “but it’s going to be a little bit different because we made the playoffs the last nine years.”
East quarterback Nolan Possley completed 4 of 5 passes for 48 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown to senior Jess Striedl with 10:12 left in the first half.
Two plays earlier, with the Saints setting up to punt for their third straight possession to open the game, sophomore Tyler Nutting kept the drive alive by taking the direct snap and racing 18 yards down the sideline for a first down.
“We’re not officially in the playoffs yet, but we’re happy to get No. 5,” Fields said. “We won the war and we’re happy about it … but we gotta fix some things to be able to win some of those smaller battles. And we will.”
Busch kicked a 20-yard field goal in the first quarter.