Top-seeded Central beaten by Downers Grove South in state final

By Brad Engel
STAFF WRITER

  If only for another minute.

  Naperville Central lost the battle for the clock and a shot at a second state title in a 34-31 upset by Downers Grove South in Saturday's Class 8A state final at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

  Central (13-1) controlled the ball for only 1:33 in the fourth quarter, engineering a touchdown drive that gave the Redhawks a 31-28 lead with 1:54 left as quarterback Phil Horvath hit Tyke Spencer on a 40-yard touchdown pass.

  But the Redhawks defense, responsible for holding opponents to an average 8.8 points through the semifinal round, failed to stop the Mustangs (12-2) on the ensuing possession.

  South drove 78 yards on seven plays in 1:16, capping the drive with a 7-yard pass from Mustangs quarterback Mike Cuzzone to running back Kent Hughes as South took a 34-31 lead after Central's A.J. Sagen blocked the point-after attempt.

  Central took over at its own 38. Horvath dropped back on the first play from scrimmage and threw his only interception of the night to South's Sam Carson, clinching a first football title for the Mustangs and coach John Belskis.

  The Mustangs missed a 20-yard field goal after taking 9:56 off the clock in the fourth quarter, allowing the Redhawks to storm back and take their first and only lead of the night.

  Central had trailed for the entire game. With time expiring in the first half, Central cut Downers South's lead to 21-10 with Chris Szatko's 28-yard field goal. Central drove the ball 60 yards in 12 seconds to set up the attempt.

  The Mustangs delivered Central the same type of first half the Redhawks experienced the previous week. In the semifinal, Wheaton North jumped on top 14-0 in the first half with two consecutive scoring possessions. This week the Mustangs managed one better, scoring on all three of their first-half possessions, controlling the ball with the run and eating time off the clock. South almost doubled Central's time of possession before halftime, controlling the ball for 15:39 to 8:21 for the Redhawks.

  Through the semifinal round, the Redhawks had allowed an average 8.8 points per game. Yet Central's defense has been slow to wake in the playoffs, giving up 41 of its 80 points within the first three possessions.

  Down 14-0, the Redhawks finally hit the scoreboard on the ensuing possession, trekking 58 yards on seven plays as freshman fullback Eric Small ran 1 yard to pull within a touchdown at 5:11.

  Downers South responded with a 72-yard drive, beating the Central defensive backs and hitting the small seams to set up Cuzzone's 5-yard completion to Hughes for the 21-7 Mustangs lead with 26 seconds left. Cuzzone went 9-of-11 for 98 yards in the first half.

  Horvath, who went 5-of-11 for 125 yards in the half, opened the third quarter with a 6-of-6 performance, leading the Redhawks 81 yards downfield to set up his 16-yard touchdown pass to Spencer.

  Following a Mustangs score, Paquette broke open for his biggest run of the night, tiptoeing down the sideline for a touchdown. Szatko missed the extra-point attempt to make it 28-23 late in the third and set up the memorable fourth quarter.

11/25/01