MSL Football Playoffs: History of Postseason League Meetings
Highlights From All 34 Playoff Matchups Between MSL Teams From 1977-2024
When Hersey and Prospect met in the first round of the 2024 Class 7A state football playoffs it was the 34th time two Mid-Suburban League teams faced each other in a postseason game. The first was a classic of North (Barrington) and South (Elk Grove) division champions in 1977 when there were only 80 teams in five 16-team classes.
Here’s a recap of every matchup broken into three categories:
Split Decisions - The 9 times where teams avenged a regular-season loss in the playoffs.
Power Sweeps - The 17 times teams won both the regular-season and playoff meetings.
Solo Tackles - The 8 times an MSL playoff matchup didn’t feature a regular-season meeting.
All game details are from Daily Herald stories.
Split Decisions
1977 - Elk Grove 16, Barrington 13
5A 1st Round
Regular season: Barrington 7, Elk Grove 0
Don Schnake’s disdain for the forward pass was almost as legendary as his successful 19-year coaching tenure at Elk Grove. But he wasn’t stubborn to a fault as QB Ralph Souder, who had 34 pass attempts all season going into the first all-MSL playoff meeting, threw for 5 first downs on a drive from its 1 to set up Dave Sargent’s 20-yard field goal with 19 seconds to play. Sophomore RB Jack Walsh rushed for 109 yards and 2 TDs and blocked an extra point to keep the game tied at 13-13. Barrington star QB Bruce Henricksen was 20-for-26 for 229 yards and a TD to Kirk Kissner and RB Mike Hughes ran for the tying score. But Elk Grove’s defense led by Tom Munro and Steve Campbell stopped a Henricksen-to-Hughes fourth-down play a yard shy of the end zone to set up the Grens’ winning drive. The game between South champ Elk Grove and North champ Barrington, in its first year in the league, was billed as the “MSL Super Bowl” for the game held from 1970-74.
Elk Grove lost the next week in the quarterfinals to defending 5A champion St. Laurence 34-15.
1992 - Conant 10, Fremd 6
6A 2nd Round
Regular season: Fremd 16, Conant 10 (2 OT)
Fremd’s first 10-win season included a dramatic Week 3 win at Conant where Deron Birsa threw a game-winning TD to Michael Mangan. The Vikings managed only 122 yards in the rematch but field goals of 31 and 33 yards by Chris Barton looked like they might be enough to offset a 32-yard field goal by Conant’s Steve Byrne. But the Cougars, who had been bottled up for minus-2 yards rushing on 18 attempts, finally sprung John Pariso loose for the go-ahead 36-yard TD early in the fourth quarter. Their defense allowed only 16 second-half yards in the final game for Fremd head coach Joe Samojedny.
Conant lost the following week in the quarterfinals 28-9 to Homewood-Flossmoor.
1994 - Wheeling 36, Hersey 20
5A 1st Round
Regular season: Hersey 35, Wheeling 27
Wheeling only had to wait a week to avenge the end to its perfect regular season where Hersey QB Wayne Jackson threw for 311 yards and 5 TDs in a must-win game to finish 6-3 and get a playoff berth. The Wildcats rolled up 510 total yards in the rematch for the program’s only playoff win as QB Ryan Mroz threw for 255 yards and 3 TDs and Steve Schalk rushed for 122 and a TD. They also pulled out a trick play from sophomore coach Tim Lazzarotto when Brian Klatecki went 71 yards with a fumblerooski for a 22-12 lead midway through the third. Jackson threw for 174 yards and 2 TDs for Hersey.
Wheeling lost 17-10 in rainy and muddy conditions to Maine South in the second round. It was the final game for Rick Benedetto, who retired as the program’s most successful head coach.
2002 - Prospect 13, Hersey 7
7A 2nd Round
Regular season: Hersey 17, Prospect 14
The pressure of repeat expectations was weighing on Prospect when it fell to 5-2 as Hersey sophomore Kevin Mazur kicked a game-winning 27-yard field goal on the final play. That sparked both teams and set up a much-anticipated rematch before nearly 5,000 at Prospect. The Knights pulled out the tense slugfest as QB Jared Dall led a 96-yard drive that took 6:45 with big passes to George Whitten and Nick Iovino - the latter catching a tie-breaking 17-yarder with 12 seconds to play. Prospect also drove 80 yards to start the game for the opening score on a 10-yard TD run by Bryon Gattas (87 yards). Hersey’s defense led by Ryan Baysinger (3 sacks, 1 tackle for loss) hung tough and it tied the game in the third on a 1-yard TD run by Nick Krams (65 yards).
A week later Prospect and Buffalo Grove met for the fourth time in two years.
2002 - Prospect 17, Buffalo Grove 16
7A Quarterfinals
Regular season: Buffalo Grove 20, Prospect 14
The fourth and final act of two seasons of drama-filled matchups saved the biggest finish for last after BG and Tommy Zbikowski raced to a 20-0 lead and held on in the Week 5 meeting before 9,000 at Prospect. More than 7,000 were on hand for the Saturday afternoon rematch at BG as the unbeaten Bison were poised to erase a 17-14 deficit with first-and-goal at the 1 when Prospect DL Paul Johansson’s helmet separated Zbikowski from the ball and Scott Sprague recovered with 1:02 to play. The Knights took a safety out of punt formation in the final seconds and BG could only manage a desperation pass that fell incomplete. BG had 5 turnovers and its stingy defense allowed the most points and yards (309) it had all season but it still led 14-7 on a 69-yard TD run by Zbikowski (115 yards) and a 1-yard TD run by sophomore Mark Woodsum (72 yards). Prospect got within 14-10 at halftime on Brian Bell’s 33-yard field goal and Zbikowski missed most of the third quarter after getting his bell rung on a hit. A 15-yard TD run by QB Jared Dall with 8:49 left in the third put Prospect ahead to stay and Bryon Gattas rushed for 87 yards.
Prospect rolled past Lake Zurich 41-18 in the semifinals and Edwardsville 24-7 in the championship game in Champaign for its second consecutive title and ended up being three crowns in five years.
2004 - Rolling Meadows 28, Elk Grove 21
7A Quarterfinals
Regular season: Elk Grove 35, Rolling Meadows 21
Elk Grove rolled up a season-high 468 yards in the first meeting that was part of an unbeaten dream season for retiring head coach Bruce Bazsali. It was also part of a nightmarish 4-game losing streak that threatened to keep Meadows from making the playoffs, before it recovered to win its last 3 regular-season games and keep rolling to its first quarterfinal trip. That set up the rematch before more than 4,000 at Meadows where QB Bryan Porter’s 48-yard TD run broke a 21-21 tie with 5:12 left. Meadows allowed only 210 total yards although Elk Grove QB Tim Podulka was 15-for-18 for 146 and 2 TDs to Dan Souder and Jeff Moore. Meadows RB Andy Lange rushed for 173 yards and 2 TDs in his ninth consecutive 100-yard game and his 74-yard punt return TD broke a 7-7 tie. His 48-yard run put the Mustangs up 21-13, but Mike Larsen’s 1-yard TD run and Podulka’s 2-point pass to Souder tied it with 10:13 left. Elk Grove was poised to get the ball back in good field position when it forced Meadows to punt from its own 10, but a controversial roughing-the-kicker penalty on a punt Elk Grove believed was tipped set up Porter’s game-winning TD. Meadows also converted a fourth-and-1 at its own 40 to run out the final 1:51.
Meadows made its first semifinal trip to Libertyville where it lost 41-25 to the eventual state champions.
2008 - Fremd 24, Palatine 7
8A 1st Round
Regular season: Palatine 28, Fremd 21
A dramatic Week 7 victory where a late goal-line stand by Palatine’s Joe Pelnar helped end Fremd’s 21-game MSL West winning streak set up the first playoff meeting between the crosstown rivals and division co-champions. Future NCAA batting champion at Bradley and big-league baseball outfielder Mike Tauchman threw for a school-record 382 yards in the first meeting, but Fremd went under center for the first time all season in the rematch and Mike Gyetvay rushed for 113 yards and a TD en route to a 17-0 lead. Tauchman threw only 12 passes this time but still had a major impact by rushing for 70 yards, intercepting 3 passes, punting for a 41-yard average and returning punts. Evan Wright rushed for a TD, Chris Doloughty had an INT and Zenon Kolakowski capped the win with a 64-yard INT return for a TD. Palatine averted a shutout in the final minute on a TD pass by Matt Rossi. Fremd coach Mike Donatucci’s 116th career win also passed Conant’s Dave Pendergast for the most by a coach at a MSL school or schools.
Fremd’s season ended the following week in a 21-7 second-round loss to Bartlett.
2010 - Schaumburg 38, Elk Grove 21
7A 1st Round
Regular season: Elk Grove 36, Schaumburg 34
The Thursday Night Football crossover in Week 4 saw Elk Grove star QB-DB Nick Meyer get 368 total yards and 5 TDs to beat 7A’s top-ranked Saxons. In the rematch at Elk Grove, the Saxons rolled up 509 total yards as QB Mark Iannotti rushed for 169 and 2 TDs and threw for 100 and RB Shepard Little rushed for 226 and 2 TDs on 19 carries. Meyer had 289 total yards, a TD pass and two 3-yard TD runs to get Elk Grove within 17-14 and 24-21.
Schaumburg became only the third MSL team at the time to score 50 points in a playoff game but it wasn’t enough as it lost its second-round game to Simeon 55-50.
2022 - Hoffman Estates 29, Elk Grove 22
7A 1st Round
Regular season: Elk Grove 24, Hoffman Estates 14
Elk Grove turned a 15-point deficit into a 22-21 lead on Mitch Janczak’s 9-yard TD pass to Matt Martorano with 4:08 left. But Hoffman went 66 yards in just 90 seconds to regain the lead for good on Dimarte Neustader’s 18-yard TD run and a PAT pass from QB Aiden Cyr to Brett Phillips. Neustader came through after Quincy Williams had 113 yards rushing and 2 TDs and 67 yards receiving but was injured in the fourth quarter. Jacob Elsner rushed for 2 TDs for Elk Grove and Martorano kicked a 30-yard field goal.
Hoffman lost 25-9 to St. Charles North in the second round and Elk Grove’s Miles Osei resigned after the season to take the head coaching job at Kankakee.
Power Sweeps
1986 - Buffalo Grove 13, Palatine 0
6A 2nd Round
Regular-season: Buffalo Grove 27, Palatine 0
Palatine put up a much bigger fight against the unbeaten Bison than it did when they met a week earlier for the MSL North title. But BG’s powerhouse defense led by Jim More, Brian Burda and Gavin Pearlman allowed zero yards rushing and zero points for the fifth time and future UCLA LB Jim Wagner had an interception. BG got a 4-yard TD run by Chris Rudolph early in the second quarter and Pat Milz’ 1-yard TD run.
BG rolled the rest of the way with little trouble and beat Marist 26-6 to finish 14-0 and win the MSL’s first football state title.
1990 - Conant 42, Palatine 21
6A 1st Round
Regular season: Conant 46, Palatine 7
This one was nowhere near as easy as it may have seemed it would be after unbeaten Conant’s rout in Week 3. And it wasn’t as easy as the final score appeared since 5-4 Palatine held a 1-point lead until Conant scored 3 TDs in the final 2:30. The Cougars overcame 3 turnovers that led to 3 TDs as RB Tony Carlson (208 yards, 4 TDs) scored from 41 yards and Eric Ackman threw a 2-point pass to Vaurice Patterson for a 28-21 lead. QB Eric Ackman also ran for 2 TDs. An INT by Palatine’s Doug Zigmont set up Dan Stopka’s tying 1-yard TD run in the third and after a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, sophomore QB Jeff Hecklinski (247 yards) threw a go-ahead 29-yard TD to Ed Solis (8 catches, 201 yards). Solis also had a 22-yard INT return for a TD.
Conant beat Glenbard North 27-14 in the second round to improve to 11-0 but lost to Downers Grove North 16-12 in the quarterfinals.
1991 - Buffalo Grove 18, Palatine 17
6A 2nd Round
Regular season: Buffalo Grove 28, Palatine 21
Palatine was in position to avenge the earlier loss as it led 17-6 with 10 minutes left in the matchup of 9-1 teams. BG appeared as if it would pay for four empty trips inside the red zone, but QB Mike Rudolph (254 yards) threw a 24-yard TD pass to Marc Thorstenson at 9:08 and a fumble recovery setup RB Nick Peradotti’s go-ahead 5-yard TD run at 6:28. BG’s defense led by Kevin Kozak, Leo Perez and George Alexakis allowed only 20 second-half yards and when the offense got the ball back again it ran out the final 4:09. Palatine QB Jeff Hecklinski, who missed the two previous games with a shoulder injury, threw for 168 yards and 7-yard TDs to Ed Solis and Ed Lowitzki in the first half, but didn’t complete a pass after halftime.
Buffalo Grove lost 28-0 to Loyola the following week in the quarterfinals.
1996 - Conant 27, Wheeling 6
6A 1st Round
Regular season: Conant 21, Wheeling 0
Conant’s Week 3 MSL crossover shutout of the Wildcats started a 7-game winning streak en route to the MSL South title. Sophomore QB Russ Michna, who went to NFL training camps, played in the CFL and had a successful Arena League career, only threw 3 passes in the first meeting. Michna went 8-for-14 for 110 yards with an 18-yard TD pass to Rob Pendergast and ran for a 10-yard TD in the rematch. Pendergast and Bill Fiorito also had short TD runs. Wheeling’s 11.6 points a game were the lowest in the 192-team field and it avoided the shutout with Pat Murphy’s 6-yard TD pass to J.P. Calandra with 10:12 left.
Conant lost its second-round game 32-12 to Lincoln-Way.
1996 - Palatine 41, Schaumburg 21
6A 1st Round
Regular Season: Palatine 46, Schaumburg 14
Unbeaten MSL North champion Palatine picked up from the Week 3 MSL crossover romp by taking a 27-0 halftime lead. Bubba Mariani rushed for 196 yards and 3 TDs and had a 60-yard INT return for a TD. QB Ken Stopka broke the state record of 116 consecutive pass attempts without an INT and was 9-for-12 for 134 yards with first-half TDs to Matt Maichel and Yaacov Yisrael. Schaumburg got within 27-14 as future Illinois star and NFL QB Kurt Kittner threw 2 TD passes and ran for the other score while Bob Meyer rushed for 123 yards.
Palatine rolled past Marist and St. Charles in its next two playoff games but the head coaching career of Joe Petricca came to a stunning end with a 41-6 semifinal loss at Lincoln-Way.
2001 - Prospect 21, Buffalo Grove 12
7A Quarterfinals
Regular Season: Prospect 6, Buffalo Grove 0
The much-anticipated Week 8 battle of unbeatens for the MSL East title at BG turned into a test against the elements in a Saturday afternoon monsoon where a second-quarter TD run by Prospect’s Jason Rodriguez was the only score. BG’s last-minute second-round win at Glenbrook North set up a quarterfinal rematch back at home on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. An 18-yard TD run by future Notre Dame star and NFL DB Tommy Zbikowski with 3:23 left in the first half was the first time Prospect trailed all season. But the Knights responded as QB George Smith (116 yards) capped 2 TD drives with a 10-yard pass to Josh Flickinger for a 7-6 lead just before half and a 33-yarder to Mike Anderson. Zbikowski’s 68-yard TD run cut it to 14-12 but do-it-all Ben Coffman batted away the PAT pass. Coffman, who had 13 tackles and also blocked a PAT kick, put away the game with a TD on a fumble recovery after he and Patrick Wilson combined to sack Zbikowski.
Prospect rallied from a 15-0 deficit to blast Bolingbrook 47-22 in the semifinals. The once-downtrodden program that had never won a playoff game before 2001 completed its perfect season by beating Edwardsville 19-14 in the title game in Champaign.
2002 - Conant 35, Barrington 14
8A 2nd Round
Regular season: Conant 34, Barrington 12
The first meeting in Week 9 gave Conant the MSL West title as QB Scott Blecha was just 1-for-4 passing for 8 yards. The second meeting two weeks later gave head coach Dave Pendergast his 100th career victory as Blecha burned the Broncos by hitting 7 of 9 passes for 126 yards and a TD and running for a score. Conant also got rushing TDs from Leon Wiggins and Evan Shy as they combined for 135 yards. Barrington took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard TD run by sophomore QB Garrett Seeger and got within 21-14 when Matt Spicer recovered Steve Curto’s blocked punt in the end zone.
Conant nearly continued its roll into the semifinals but lost 9-7 in the quarterfinals at Stevenson on a field goal with two minutes to play.
2003 - Prospect 21, Buffalo Grove 3
7A 1st Round
Regular season: Prospect 37, Buffalo Grove 10
The stakes and drama weren’t quite as high as the previous two seasons after the Knights jumped out 24-0 after 15 minutes in their Week 9 meeting for the MSL East title. But BG was a much different team a week later and led 3-0 late in the half on James Hurley’s 23-yard field goal and a defense led by Anthony Donatucci, Jordan Victor, Eric Andino and Sam Ball dropped Prospect QB Ric Radcliffe 9 times for losses. But late in the first half, Radcliffe hit George Whitten with a Hail Mary to set up a go-ahead TD to Matt Iovino for a 7-3 lead. Radcliffe threw for 278 yards, Iovino had 8 catches for 114 and 2 TDs and Jason Olichwier had a 4-yard TD run.
Prospect beat Loyola 28-14 in the second round and held off Deerfield 35-27 in a dramatic quarterfinal but the dream of a third consecutive 7A title ended with a 27-0 loss at Libertyville.
2003 - Barrington 14, Conant 6
8A 2nd Round
Regular season: Barrington 23, Conant 0
Barrington got the double-payback from the year before after a regular season where it shared the MSL West title with Conant and Fremd. Drew Janes had a pair of 1-yard TD runs - the first for a 7-6 lead 16 seconds before halftime and the second with 1:48 to play. QB Garrett Seeger also rushed for 164 yards on 18 carries for the Broncos. Conant DB Chris Shannon’s school-record 9th interception set up the first of two field goals by Mike Deschamp.
Barrington would lose a 32-28 heartbreaking quarterfinal at Lake Park.
2006 - Fremd 28, Schaumburg 20
8A 1st Round
Regular season: Fremd 35, Schaumburg 10
The rematch came right away after Fremd wrapped up another MSL West title with its Week 9 win where Jake Smith rushed for 190 yards and 3 TDs. Schaumburg took the lead early on a 5-yard TD run by Mick Trimarco, but Fremd responded to lead 28-7 late in the third on 2 TD runs by Smith (92 yards), one by Nick Hilliard and a Hail Mary 35-yard TD pass from Mark Tolzien (144 yards) to Tyler Perna to end the first half. The Saxons and dynamic QB Julian Tucker (207 total yards) refused to go quietly as he threw TDs of 12 yards to Brandon Bolger and 25 to Mark Brown. After the latter with 1:32 left, they recovered the onside kick at midfield but were unable to move the ball into scoring position.
Fremd edged Stevenson 20-14 in the second round before losing 21-7 at York in the quarterfinals.
2006 - Prospect 20, Rolling Meadows 0
7A Quarterfinals
Regular season: Prospect 28, Rolling Meadows 2
The rivalry that escalated in the late 1990s saw the two MSL East schools meet in the playoffs for the first time. The defending 7A champion Knights allowed only 43 total yards of offense and rolled to their third consecutive playoff shutout behind three-phase standout Max Cherwin, who caught a TD pass and kicked 2 field goals, and two-way threats John Munz (6 catches, 98 yards, TD), Parker O’Mara (93 yards rushing) and LB-OL Tony Baratti. QB Geoff Sobey threw for 133 yards and 2 TDs. Meadows, which edged Rockford Guilford and Libertyville by a combined 7 points in its two playoff wins, trailed only 7-0 at halftime but didn’t cross midfield until 7:41 left.
Prospect was looking for its second consecutive title and fourth in six years but couldn’t get its offense untracked in a 17-3 semifinal loss at Lake Zurich.
2012 - Palatine 42, Schaumburg 14
8A 2nd Round
Regular season: Palatine 51, Schaumburg 18
Palatine picked up from where it finished the Week 9 matchup by rolling to a 42-7 lead and forcing 4 turnovers that led to TDs. Ethan Olles was 23-for-39 for 211 yards and a 14-yard TD to Alex Nawrot. Bradley Bauer had 2 INTs and Lucas Rago had an INT while John Serio and Cam Kuksa rushed for 2 TDs apiece for the Pirates.
Palatine would run into a familiar nemesis in the quarterfinals and lose 19-7 to Loyola in the final game of Tyler Donnelly’s successful head coaching career.
2017 - Hersey 28, Rolling Meadows 6
7A 1st Round
Regular season: Hersey 21, Rolling Meadows 20
Hersey was as good as QB Owen Goldsberry in its season sweep, starting with 2 of his 3 TDs in the fourth quarter leading a comeback from a 20-7 deficit to claim the MSL East title. In the rematch two weeks later, Goldsberry passed for 198 yards, ran for 94 and returned an INT 69 yards. His 5-yard TD run 1:48 before halftime broke a scoreless tie and he connected on a 96-yard TD with Ian Ziegenhorn, which was only his second catch in an injury-plagued season. Meadows got a 24-yard TD from Arek Kleniuk to Justin Kretz but came away with no points on three trips inside the Hersey 5.
Hersey fell the next week in the second round to Lincoln-Way Central 21-7.
2019 - Rolling Meadows 26, Prospect 14
7A Second Round
Regular season: Rolling Meadows 35, Prospect 14
Unbeaten Rolling Meadows found the rematch of its Week 7 win wasn’t as easy even though it jumped to a 14-0 lead behind Chris Divito, who rushed for 136 yards and scored 3 TDs, and QB Carson Schiller. Prospect drew even as QB Gary Moeller threw an 80-yard TD pass at the end of the first quarter to Noah Marx and it hit a double-pass play from Moeller to Brian Doherty to Marx for 60 yards late in the third. But the Mustangs responded on 1-yard TD runs by Divito and Charlie Schmidt in the final 6:40.
Meadows rolled past Wheaton Warrenville South 20-3 and into its second semifinal trip but it lost 42-14 to Nazareth and QB J.J. McCarthy, who led Michigan to the 2023 national championship and was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings. It also brought an end to the highly successful tenure of Meadows head coach Matt Mishler.
2021 - Prospect 13, Buffalo Grove 8
7A 2nd Round
Regular Season: Prospect 17, Buffalo Grove 14
The state playoffs were back after a one-year COVID-related absence and Prospect and BG met after a tight Week 5 matchup. The Knights were down to the third and fourth QBs because of injuries but Matt Raitano rushed for 109 yards and Owen Walter put them up 13-6 with a 3-yard TD run out of the wildcat formation 1:20 before halftime. Michael Cervantes had a 22-yard TD pass to Dominick Marazzo to put BG up 6-3 early in the second quarter but he was stuffed a yard short of the end zone on 4th down by Nicholas Grassano and Christopher Rodriguez early in the second half. BG got a safety with 8:43 left but Prospect preserved the win with INTs by Ethan Rossi and Jacob Parisi. Benjamin Sahakian kicked 2 first-half FGs for the Knights.
Prospect beat Jacobs 35-21 in the quarterfinals but lost 42-20 at St. Rita in the semifinals.
2023 - Prospect 46, Buffalo Grove 20
7A 1st Round
Regular season: Prospect 63, Buffalo Grove 28
BG stayed within one possession into the second half of the rematch but Prospect scored the final 21 points to pull away. Jack Skoog threw 3 TD passes - 2 to Nicholas Carlucci and one to Nathan Cichy - and ran for a 2-yard TD and 2-point conversion for an 18-6 lead. Noah Easter also rushed for 114 yards and a TD and Jaylen Calhoun had a 93-yard kickoff return TD after BG’s Anthony Bernardo returned an INT for a 42-yard score.
Prospect lost 49-15 in the second round to Mt. Carmel, which would defend its 7A state title.
2024 - Prospect 56, Hersey 14
7A 1st Round
Regular season: Prospect 30, Hersey 27
Prospect didn’t have to worry about another rally the way it did in Week 7 on Noah Easter’s 11-yard TD run with 2:08 left to dethrone two-time defending MSL East champion Hersey. The Knights scored the first 28 points en route to their second-highest point total in a playoff game. Easter rushed for 114 yards and 3 TDs and Skoog was 12-for-15 passing for 191 yards and 2 TDs and rushed for another score. The opportunistic Knights also intercepted 5 passes - with 45-yard TD returns by Declan Lawlor and Jacob Bednarski - and recovered a fumble in their eighth consecutive win.
Prospect traveled to Normal Community for a second-round matchup.
Solo Tackles
1978 - Buffalo Grove 20, Forest View 14
5A Semifinals
The two schools had never met previously as they battled for a trip to Bloomington-Normal to play for a state championship. And the Bison, which featured future Illinois star and NFL DT Don Thorp, rallied from a 7-0 deficit and held on with Bentley Patterson’s interception off a Jeff Smithern deflection with 1:20 to play. Forest View scored first on Jeff Nelson’s 23-yard TD pass to Jeff Glazner but BG coach Grant Blaney pulled out his trick bag with a tying 75-yard hook-and-lateral where Craig Groot hit Chuck Carkhuff for 10 yards and Greg Bazany took the pitch to the end zone. Pat Valentine’s 14-yard TD run and Groot’s 1-yard TD run put the Bison up 20-7. Nelson threw an 18-yard TD to Ron Laramie in the fourth and they just missed a tying TD connection before Patterson’s INT.
Buffalo Grove lost to St. Rita 15-9 for the 5A title.
1983 - Barrington 21, Conant 0
6A 1st Round
Both division winners had perfect regular seasons derailed in Week 9 losses but Barrington rebounded as RB Bill Rodgers exploded for a career-high 217 yards on 24 carries with TDs of 2, 79 and 4 yards. The Broncos outgained Conant 338-119 behind their defense led by Chris Kane, Bob Hamilton, Mike Bowen and Tyler Barth, who had an interception.
Barrington joined its 1974 team by making the semifinals where it lost 13-7 to Addison Trail.
1985 - Forest View 37, Wheeling 14
5A 1st Round
The major contrasts of the 8-1 teams were Wheeling making its first playoff trip and Forest View knowing this was its last since it was closing at the end of the 1985-86 school year. Fred Lussow’s Falcons put up season-highs for points and total yards (360) as Jack Smith had TDs rushing, receiving and on 1 of their 4 interceptions. Dan Bazar rushed for 193 yards with an 84-yard TD run and caught a TD pass from Ron Kiolbassa (121 yards). Scott Miller, the father of Barrington star and NFL receiver Scotty Miller, had an INT and future Iowa star LB Brad Quast, Tom O’Malley and John Chronos led the defense. Dan O’Conor ran for 75 yards and a TD for Wheeling.
1985 - Forest View 13, Hersey 7
5A 2nd Round
Forest View needed some magic to move on as it overcame 5 turnovers by blocking 2 punts and recovering 2 fumbles. One of the punts blocked early in the second half by Miguel Arevalo was returned 15 yards for a TD by Kevin Quast early in the second half to break a scoreless tie. Jack Smith recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up Jeff Prince’s 29-yard field goal. Mark Weller’s 80-yard TD pass to Tim Hardy late in the third cut Hersey’s deficit to 10-7 but Prince hit a 25-yard field goal with 3:37 left. Hersey nearly tied it with a big gain on a hook-and-lateral but John Cole’s INT preserved the win.
In what Forest View billed as its BYE (Best Year Ever), it beat Antioch 16-7 in the quarterfinals and Rich East 16-13 in 2 OTs in the semifinals before losing 28-3 to Rockford East in the title game.
1985 - Buffalo Grove 37, Schaumburg 7
6A Quarterfinals
A 31-minute lightning delay sparked Buffalo Grove and QB Sam Merriott as it turned a 7-7 tie into a 31-7 halftime lead. Merriott was 10-for-15 passing for 269 yards and 2 TDs to Mark Sheedy, rushed for 2 TDs and kicked a field goal that put the Bison up for good. Tim Drevline caught 5 passes for 135 yards and Jordy Tessier had 74 yards rushing and 56 receiving. Schaumburg scored first on John Sengstock’s 1-yard run but BG’s fired-up defense intercepted future NFL QB Paul Justin 5 times and held him to 138 yards.
For the second straight year BG lost its semifinal trip to perennial national power East St. Louis Senior - this time 33-7. East St. Louis crushed Brother Rice 46-0 for its second consecutive title.
1986 - Palatine 22, Conant 6
6A 1st Round
There was plenty of intrigue as Palatine made its first playoff appearance at 6-3 under second-year head coach Joe Petricca against a Conant program where he had been the defensive coordinator for 10 years for John Ayres. The Cougars were 8-1 and ranked fourth in 6A but Palatine set the upset in motion early when Steve Turzynski’s jarring hit forced a fumble that set up the first of 3 TD runs by sophomore FB John Knox. Dave Sharkey threw for 141 yards, Ken Rapp caught 7 passes for 83 yards and Mike Cheatham blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety to make it 16-0 at halftime. Conant got within 16-6 on QB Lee Borkowski’s 4-yard TD run but two more shots inside the 10 were turned away by the Palatine defense led by NG Paul Claps.
It would be the final game of Ayres’ illustrious head coaching career at Conant and the start of 12 consecutive playoff trips for Palatine, which lost in the second round 13-0 to eventual state champion Buffalo Grove.
1992 - Fremd 21, Hoffman Estates 6
6A 1st Round
Fremd rallied from a 6-0 halftime deficit for its first playoff win for retiring head coach Joe Samojedny. Three-sport standout Keith Lozowski, who started for Northwestern’s 1995 Rose Bowl team, rushed for 90 yards with TDs of 65 and 9 and Robert Mackey had a 6-yard TD run. John Lawlor’s INT set up a 2-yard TD run by Hoffman star RB Jason Kent (105 yards).
Fremd would fall 10-6 in a second-round rematch with Conant.
2011 - Elk Grove 36, Conant 14
7A 1st Round
The first postseason game in 38 meetings between the two schools would also be for the Mayor’s Cup since they didn’t play in the regular season in 2011. The Grenadiers rolled up leads of 22-0 late in the first half and 36-7 with 8:37 left as Dejan Basara rushed for 96 yards and 4 TDs in his first action at QB since Week 4 when he broke his collarbone. Sophomore Adam O’Malley provided the passing threat for the Grens with 185 yards and Jeff Miceli caught 4 passes for 140 yards and a TD. LB Mike Maize led the defense with 2 sacks and 2 stops for no gain. Conant QB Matt Cullen threw for 229 yards and a late TD and Tom Zidek had a 92-yard kickoff return for a TD to start the second half.
Elk Grove held off a late surge from Rockton Hononegah for 39-22 second-round win but lost 17-10 in the quarterfinals at Lake Zurich. It was the last game for Elk Grove coach Brian Doll as he left in late May 2012 to take a job promoting football internationally.