Nazareth's Late Surge Sends Roadrunners Back to Semifinals with Thrilling 24-21 Win Over Lake Zurich.
Jackson Failla, the quarterback of the three-time defending Class 5A champions, couldn't shake off a dismal first half as Nazareth trailed by two scores and 12 points with just over three minutes remaining in their quarterfinal matchup against visiting Lake Zurich. However, in a stunning display of resilience and teamwork, Failla rallied his team to secure a wild 24-21 victory.
Failla was replaced for a fourth-quarter series, but he returned to the field with 3:27 left to lead the Roadrunners on two scoring drives that propelled them from behind to secure the win. The turning point came when Failla hit tight end Charles Calhoun with a seven-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes of the game.
A crucial play earlier, an onside kick attempt by Lake Zurich backfired and was recovered by Nazareth's Cash Coleman, giving his team possession at their own 48-yard line. Six plays later, Failla found Trenton Walker open for a 15-yard score that tied the game with just over two minutes remaining.
Lake Zurich's efforts to run out the clock were thwarted when they turned it over on downs with 47 seconds left, allowing Nazareth to run out the clock and claim the win. The Roadrunners' victory advances them to the semifinals next weekend, where they will host Fenwick, a team that defeated Burlington Central by 49-21.
Despite facing significant pressure from their three-time defending champions status, Nazareth's coach Tim Racki attributed his team's initial struggles to anxiety and focusing on the outcome rather than the process. However, he praised the Roadrunners' resilience and teamwork in bouncing back to secure the win.
Lake Zurich coach Ron Planz echoed this sentiment, highlighting the significance of community pride and teamwork in his program. "We're a community program," he said. "Our kids love playing for Lake Zurich, and that's who we play for."
Jackson Failla, the quarterback of the three-time defending Class 5A champions, couldn't shake off a dismal first half as Nazareth trailed by two scores and 12 points with just over three minutes remaining in their quarterfinal matchup against visiting Lake Zurich. However, in a stunning display of resilience and teamwork, Failla rallied his team to secure a wild 24-21 victory.
Failla was replaced for a fourth-quarter series, but he returned to the field with 3:27 left to lead the Roadrunners on two scoring drives that propelled them from behind to secure the win. The turning point came when Failla hit tight end Charles Calhoun with a seven-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes of the game.
A crucial play earlier, an onside kick attempt by Lake Zurich backfired and was recovered by Nazareth's Cash Coleman, giving his team possession at their own 48-yard line. Six plays later, Failla found Trenton Walker open for a 15-yard score that tied the game with just over two minutes remaining.
Lake Zurich's efforts to run out the clock were thwarted when they turned it over on downs with 47 seconds left, allowing Nazareth to run out the clock and claim the win. The Roadrunners' victory advances them to the semifinals next weekend, where they will host Fenwick, a team that defeated Burlington Central by 49-21.
Despite facing significant pressure from their three-time defending champions status, Nazareth's coach Tim Racki attributed his team's initial struggles to anxiety and focusing on the outcome rather than the process. However, he praised the Roadrunners' resilience and teamwork in bouncing back to secure the win.
Lake Zurich coach Ron Planz echoed this sentiment, highlighting the significance of community pride and teamwork in his program. "We're a community program," he said. "Our kids love playing for Lake Zurich, and that's who we play for."
. Coach Racki saying anxiety was a major factor is interesting - I think it's more about accountability in leadership, you know, if your QB can't perform under pressure, why not give them a chance to prove themselves? And Lake Zurich's coach talking about community pride is great, but what about the role of local funding in supporting schools? Are we seeing some systemic issues here?
and they still managed to choke in the first half. failla is a liability as a QB, can't even finish games without collapsing under pressure 
what's with coach racki saying they had anxiety? that's just a cop-out, they need to work on their fundamentals not just deal with nerves during big games. and lake zurich was way more deserving of the win, they played some solid defense and just got outcoached by nazareth in the 2nd half 
he led his team on two scoring drives in the last minute of the game, including that sick touchdown pass to Charles Calhoun 
and now they're headed to the semifinals! I'm low-key hyped for them 
. And can we talk about Lake Zurich's coach Ron Planz? He's so chill and genuine 
"our kids love playing for Lake Zurich, that's who we play for"... ain't that the most beautiful thing you've ever heard 
they were gettin all hyped about bein the champs and forgot how to focus on the game lol, no offense 2 lake z, but that coach ron planz has a point tho 
community pride is key in sports, its not just about winnin, its about havin fun and playin 4 each other 
failla was on fire 2nd half tho 
and calhoun's TD pass was clutch too. gotta give it up to both teams for their heart and teamwork - those semis are gonna be lit 
. and can we talk about that final drive?! 15-yard score by Trenton Walker, tying the game with only 2 min left 
. then they get the onside kick back & run out the clock 
. stats: Nazareth had 381 total yards, Lake Zurich had 372. Nazareth also led in turnover margin (+1) 
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. and that quote about playing for the community, not just winning a game... so inspiring 
. btw, Fenwick is gonna be tough next week 
, 2) Fenwick 
, and Lake Zurich might make a deep run if they can get past their own mistakes 
. btw, have u seen the playoff bracket? 
. At the same time though, I don't think Lake Zurich should be too hard on themselves either... I mean they were only down by 12 points with 3 minutes left and still had chances to win 
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the turning point was for sure when they recovered that onside kick, it changed EVERYTHING. and can we talk about how great TRENTON WALKER is?? 
he made some AMAZING plays out there. i'm so hyped for them to move on to the semifinals! 
gotta love the underdogs! Nazareth came from behind and proved they still got it, all while showing some impressive resilience