The Jr Panther varsity team beat Crystal Lake 22-14 in the first round of the TCYFL playoffs on Saturday at Wilmot HS.
Crystal Lake marched down the field on their first drive of the game, but they were intercepted in the endzone by standout DB/WR Kade Frisby. WKC then worked the ensuing drive out the their 48 yard line before QB Johnny Weber threw a 52-yard bomb to a striding Frisby for the first touchdown of the game. Featured back, Logan Kubisiak (#34), had TD runs of 3 and 28 yards in the 2nd quarter. The defense held on in the second half for the first-round playoff win.
The Jr Panthers (7-2) will now face Warren Blue (7-1) this Sunday 2pm at Warren O’Plaine campus. This is a big big game for WKC. The two teams met in Gurnee in week 7, with the Blue Devils winning 22-6….. Like Herb Brooks says in the movie Miracle, “Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that’s what you have here, tonight, boys. That’s what you’ve earned here tonight.“
Head coach, Mike Gentile, gave big credit to his offensive linemen of: Isaac Blount (#27), Sam Makris (#78), Bradley Hackett (#54), Gage Stowell (#24), and Tyler Lagowski (#70).
WKC quarterback, Johnny Weber, takes some warmup throws before his quarterfinal playoff game vs Crystal Lake on Saturday night. The temperatures dropped into the low 30s. His Jr Panthers would win the game 22-14.Landen Zelms (#23) and James Urban (#53) get warmed up in the cold weather on Saturday night. They won the first-round playoff game 22-14.Head coach, Mike Gentile had high praise for the play of his offensive linemen in Saturday’s 22-14 playoff win over Crystal Lake. Linemen (L-R) Bradley Hackett (#54), Gage Stowell (#24), Isaac Blount (#27), Tyler Lagowski (#70) and Sam Makris (#78).Outside linebacker, Johnny Weber (#4), jumps up and bats this Crystal Lake pass down to the ground. Griffin Avery (#87) makes a touchdown-saving tackle on a 4th down run in the first quarter.Jr Panther defensive back, Griffin Avery (#87), beautifully breaks up this pass near the goal line . The next play would be a WKC interception in the end zone. Kade Frisby (#10) hauls in this 52-yard bomb from QB Johnny Weber in the 1st quarter of Saturday’s 22-14 playoff win over Crystal Lake. Frisby took it all the way, for the first touchdown of the game. Inside linebacker, Dylan Mulcahy (#31), sticks this Crystal Lake RB at the line-of-scrimmage in Saturday’s 22-14 playoff win at Wilmot HS.Workhorse RB, Logan Kubisiak (#34), powers in for a 3-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter.BLITZ!!! – Inside linebacker, Joel Sullivan (#25), pounces on the rolling Crystal Lake QB for a big sack. Sullivan would add another QB sack later in the quarter.Holy Barry Sanders!!! – Jr Panther RB, Logan Kubisiak (#34), likely breaks the ankles of #21 black, with this wicked cutback to the inside. Kubisiak would bust this run to the endzone for a 28-yard TD.Running back, Logan Kubisiak (#34), races top speed to the end zone after one of the nastiest cutbacks by an 8th-grader, ever. This touchdown would give the Jr Panthers a 22-0 lead in the 2nd quarter.Logan Kubisiak (#34) gets a congratulatory pat on the head from WR Griffin Avery (#87) after finishing this ankle-busting 28-yard touchdown run. The Jr Panthers move on to the TCYFL semi-finals this Sunday at Warren.Wide receiver, Kade Frisby (#10), gives double high-fives to RB Logan Kubisiak (#34) after the wicked cutback that just dropped the would-be Raider tackler straight to the ground.Outside linebacker, Johnny Weber (#4), bats away another Crystal Lake pass. The Jr Panthers varsity advances to round two and will play at Warren Blue on Sunday at 2pm.Two first-class coaches – WKC varsity head coach, Mike Gentile (right) will re-match Warren Blue’s Jim DeVries in Sunday’s TCYFL semi-final game in Gurnee.
The semi-final game at Warren starts at 2pm Sunday, and is at the O’Plaine campus in Gurnee.
Coach Gentile said the key to beating Warren will be defense, and shutting down their explosive running game.
“Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that’s what you have here, tonight, boys. That’s what you’ve earned here tonight.“
