Getting the job done
No. 12 Stevenson wakes up in second half, defeats rival Libertyville
Stevenson Vs. Libertyville
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. -- Stevenson coach Bill Mitz threw his right hand in the air and pumped it as the final seconds expired in the Patriots' 36-22 win on Friday.
He had many reasons to be pleased. His team had rallied from a 15-14 halftime deficit and turned the game completely around in the second half. His offense looked spectacular; his defense dominated when it mattered. His Patriots had also improved to 7-0 and once again showed they are definitively a state-championship caliber team. Most of all, though, No. 12 Stevenson had just defeated its nemesis, Libertyville (4-3), a team that has historically given Mitz fits. "It always feel good to beat them," Mitz said.
Libertyville had Mitz's number heading into Friday night's North Suburban Lake clash. The Wildcats had won seven of their last nine match-ups, including a 48-21 rout in 2002, even though Stevenson would take second in Class 8A that year.
It was all the more reason for Stevenson to look for revenge this season, and Libertyville coach Randy Kuceyeski understood.
"The fact that we have won seven out of the last nine games will certainly have them fired up," Kuceyeski said earlier in the week.
For a half, it seemed as if that wasn't going to matter, and Libertyville was going to crush the Patriots' spirits again and ruin their homecoming festivities. When Miles Herbert's 33-yard field goal sailed through the uprights with 10 seconds remaining in the first half and put Libertyville ahead 15-14, it was a reality check for Stevenson. As the Patriots jogged into the locker room at halftime, they realized something had to change.
"We knew what we needed to do," Stevenson senior Matt Harris said.
In the second half, they did it.
Stevenson's defense stopped Libertyville cold on its first drive of the third quarter. From there, the Patriots' offense got the ball on their 30, handed it to Mark Weisman on back-to-back plays and quickly found the end zone. After popping off runs of 49 and 21 yards, Weisman rushed in for the two-point conversion, and Stevenson went ahead 22-15.
It wouldn't trail again.
"We awoke," Mitz said. "[Libertyville] awoke a sleeping giant."
Stevenson's defense would continue putting pressure on Libertyville's offense through the second half with 220-pound lineman Thomas McGovern leading the way. He had three sacks in the second half.
Offensively, the Patriots attacked Libertyville on the ground and through the air. Weisman rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown. Harris ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Kevin Earl completed 8-of-14 passes for 142 yards and hooked up with Weisman and Nate Johnson for touchdowns.
"I think we proved a point that we're a really good team," McGovern said. "It's a good moment for the seniors to beat Libertyville."
Libertyville quarterback A.J. Schurr was 10-of-19 for 249 yards. Of those yards, Eric Andrew accounted for 228 of them on seven catches.
Scott Powers covers high school and college sports for ESPNChicago.com and can be reached at preps@espnchicago.com.
