The Bears used a run offense and a solid defensive performance to beat the Elk Grove Grenadiers 17-10 in the IHSA quarterfinals.
Leading the effort on the offense was Steven Kuhn, senior quarterback, who passed 4 for 4 for 57 yards during the game, John Orlando, senior wide receiver, who was also seen at quarterback during the game, and Mike Shield, senior running back and linebacker, who had a 53 yard run to set up the Bear’s second and final touchdown of the game.
The game started out slow, with no first downs in the first quarter by either team and no scoring plays until the final ten minutes of the half. Both teams utilized their defense to stop the run and struggled to establish a passing game on offense. The stalemate was finally broken by a 27 yard field goal by Lake Zurich’s senior kicker, Mike Leiva.
LZ’s defense shut out the Grenadiers and did not allow any trips into Bear territory in the first half. The defense was headed by Jack Lynn, senior linebacker and running back, and Will Hussey, senior defensive lineman. Colton Moskal, sophomore linebacker, was hurt in the second half with what appeared to be a collar bone injury, but later returned to play.
Zach Till, senior quarterback, looked on from the sidelines as his team beat the Grenadiers, due to a foot injury that occurred during the first round playoff game.
Lake Zurich fans, dressed head to toe in white, cheered on their team with choruses of “I believe that we will win,” echoing across the field.
The Bears go on to play the Rockford Boyland Titans in the Class 7A semifinals. The game will be away, time to be announced. The Titans beat Crystal Lake South 30-13 in the quarterfinals, where they shut out Crystal Lake the first three quarters of the game, and put a stop to their rally for a comeback.
For more information and details on next week’s game as they become available, go to http://www.ihsa.org/
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