There were so many moments where Lemont’s playoff dreams appeared doomed: a slip and fall on a clear touchdown run, a missed field goal and multiple muffed snaps and fumbles. But then some heroes emerged.
TF North led most of the way on a rainy Thursday in Calumet City. The Meteors even had a chance to take the lead on a two-point conversion in the final eight seconds.
But Lemont stopped the two-point attempt and won 19-18. The high school still doesn’t have a nickname, but this crucial fifth victory secures a spot in the state playoffs.
The Meteors scored with eight seconds left on an 85-yard kickoff return by Terrion Long. It came immediately after Lemont took a 19-12 lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Chris Montell to Jason Piskule.
Long’s kickoff return was quickly forgotten after Lemont’s celebration at the buzzer. Attention returned to Montell and Piskule’s heroics on the TD with 35 seconds left.
The play is called “seal” and Piskule thinks the wet conditions fit it perfectly.
“On a lot of our slant plays you are supposed to sit in the hole, but seal is a nonstop running slant so he’s able to hit me in stride,” Piskule said. “With the rain it is hard to sit in those holes. We are all slipping and sliding.”
Seal is Montell and Piskule’s favorite play. Even before Thursday.
“We’ve run that play about 100,000 times,” Montell said. “It’s the first time we’ve connected on it [in a game] in about three weeks. We’ve had a little slump.”
It’s been a rough year for Lemont, typically one of the area’s top programs. It had only missed the playoffs once in the past 20 years. So the victory against TF North was huge for first-year coach Willie Hayes and his kids.
“You come to Lemont, you have the expectations you are going to make the playoffs and you’re going to make a deep run,” Hayes said. “That’s why kids come to school here. That’s a testament to the coaches that came before me and laid that groundwork.”
Lemont (5-4, 5-1 South Suburban Blue) scored on its first play from scrimmage when Daniel Taylor ripped off a 50-yard TD run.
TF North (7-2, 4-2) tied the game midway through the second quarter on a 14-yard TD pass from Dominic Gradford to Aric Moultrie. The Meteors took a 12-6 lead late in the first half on Long’s six-yard TD run.
Lemont takes the lead with 35 seconds left! pic.twitter.com/NXbwqhaLm2
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) October 20, 2023
Nevan Bufka had two crucial interceptions in the fourth quarter for Lemont. The first was with 3:20 remaining and the second, with 1:52 left, set up the game-winning TD.
Lemont has a new coach and almost an entirely new starting lineup this season.
“There was a lot of doubt in the school,” Montell said. “People were wondering if we were going to make the playoffs. But the team stepped up.”
It was Lemont’s first game of the season on natural grass. The players embraced the experience.
“When we got out here off the bus we just layed down and rolled around on the grass and tried to remember what it was like to be young,” Montell. “We came out and decided to have fun with it.”
Lemont is expected to be a Class 6A playoff team. TF North, which has qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2011, will likely be a 5A team.
