Rams Outlast Knights In Crosstown Classic, 44-34

On a gorgeous Fall Friday night William C. Eiserman Stadium was packed to capacity, even with the extra bleachers brought in. This reporter couldn’t even get into the bathroom at halftime or grab a hot chocolate due to the enormous crowd who was very much into this spirited rivalry.

Grayslake Central won a share of their first conference title since 1970 with ther fifth win in six years over Grayslake North in the annual battle for bragging rights.

The Knights scored first in the game on a 2-yard run by Andrew Soulis. Soulis had 4 rushes for 16 yards and 3 touchdowns on the night.

After Central's running back Joey Valdivia scored, Soulis again ran it in from the Rams 1-yard line to put North up 13-6 early in the second quarter.

Valdivia then scored again with 5:36 left in the half on a fumble that he lost near the left sideline. Fortuitously, the ball bounced right back into his hands and miraculously eluding tacklers and grasping hands, Valdivia reversed his field and raced 67 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 13.

"Coach Goshe has been the difference in our program here at Central," said Valdivia. "The weightlifting and plyometrics we do have made us stronger and better able to compete. They were hitting me hard all night. Just look at my bruises."

With 2 seconds left in the half, the Rams Jon Gurchak kicked a 29-yard field goal to send Central into the locker room with a 16-13 lead.

Valdivia opened up the scoring in the second half with a short 3-yard touchdown and the Rams led 23-13. But the Knights responded with a 76-yard touchdown of their own less than a minute later when A.J. Fish (22/28, 253 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) hit Josh Cokefair with a pass. Cokefair dusted the Rams defenders who rarely see a player just run away from them like that.

Grayslake Central’s Valdivia scored again to make it a 30-20 Rams lead, but the Knights came roaring back with the aid of two penalties and Soulis took the 1-yard plunge into the end zone to cut the Rams lead 30-27.

Valdivia scored twice in the fourth quarter for the Rams to put the game away. He ran the ball on his first score in the final period like a wild mouflon that had just sat down on a puddle of Tiger Balm. Bouncing off of and shedding what seemed to be nearly every player on North’s team, Valdivia refused to go down carrying three would be tacklers into the end zone on a 65-yard romp.

With less than two minutes left, Valdivia scored his 6th touchdown from 23 yards out to give the Rams a commanding 44-27 lead.

Senior linebacker Kristian Meehan of Central said, "This was an awesome game. You have to give credit to North. They have an awesome team and a great football program. But I love my boys and I would do anything for them."

Jesse Davis came in at quarterback for the Knights and marched them down the field running twice for 13 total yards and tossing a 17-yard touchdown that made the final score 44-34.

North Coach Steve Wood was obviously disappointed with the end result, but proud of the never-say-die effort from his team. "Our defense has to play better," Wood said. "At some point we have to get over the hump. We’re tired of being close."

"North is going to be a tough matchup for anybody in the playoffs if they make it. They are going to be on the bubble if they can defeat Woodstock North next week," said Central Coach Nick Goshe. "They have some tough fast kids at that school. We are not surprised by the way they played tonight."

After the game, as is tradition at Central, a color guard of Marines came in to march to the building and lower the flag while Central’s Twinkle Patel played the bugle. The color guard folded the flag and marched back to the field with it. They presented it to the game’s honorary captain Central Principal Syd Klocke, who is retiring after this year.

NEXT UP: The Rams (7-1, 5-1) travel to Valley Division powerhouse Crystal Lake South (6-1, 5-1) for their final game before the state playoffs.

The Knights (4-4, 3-2) take on vastly improved Woodstock North (6-2, 4-1) at home in a must win game for North to gain the school’s first ever at-large playoff seed.

CORRECTION: The article has been corrected to show that AJ Fish had one touchdown. Patch regrets the error.