Sandburg wide receiver Charlie Snorek tries to slip the grasp of Lincoln-Way Central defender during the Knights’ 20-14 win on Sept. 22. Photo by Jason Maholy

Sandburg wide receiver Charlie Snorek tries to slip the grasp of Lincoln-Way Central defender during the Knights’ 20-14 win on Sept. 22. Photo by Jason Maholy

Sandburg can’t overcome flags, turnovers in loss to Lincoln-Way Central

Spread the love

By Tim Cronin
Correspondent

NEW LENOX – For all the good Sandburg accomplished on offense in its Week 5 matchup at Lincoln-Way Central; for all the decent work on defense: There were a handful of plays that blew up in the faces of the Eagles like poorly made firecrackers.

They did damage.

Those plays, from turnovers to penalties, are what pushed the game in favor of the host Knights, 20-14, before about 2,500 spectators on Homecoming on Sept. 22.

On another night, Sandburg’s 281-185 yardage advantage might have been the determining factor. Holding sparkplug Central back Anthony Noto to 79 yards on 17 carries, with a 23-yard gambol his longest jaunt, would have been a hallmark job on defense.

This time out, that didn’t matter. Nor did Eagles quarterback Anthony Shelton’s 213 passing yards on a 21-of-29 performance. Shelton’s 37-yard touchdown strike to Sean Weisberger made it close with 6:53 remaining, but Sandburg’s climb was Sisyphean.

Football Sburg LWC Shelton Pressure scaled e1695690050271

Sandburg quarterback Anthony Shelton prepares to launch a pass downfield while under pressure from Lincoln-Way Central linebacker Nick Mitcheff in a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover on Sept. 22 in New Lenox. Photo by Jason Maholy

As a result, the Eagles are 3-2 entering Friday night’s SWSC Blue showdown at Homewood-Flossmoor, whose 41-13 shellacking of Stagg improved its mark to 3-2. The winning team will be one victory from a playoff berth.

Sandburg will the following two weeks play Bolingbrook at home and Lincoln-Way East on the road. They must win one of their next three games against the perennial SWSC Blue powers to head into the season-closing matchup with Stagg with a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

Eagles coach Troy McAllister and his assistants most likely have reminded their charges of what went wrong on Lashmet Field and instructed them on how to correct it at H-F.

“We had far too many mistakes to win a football game, from turnovers to really bad penalties,” McAllister said. “We flat-out got outcoached tonight.”

The turnovers were a fumble on the exchange of the first running play of the Eagles’ opening drive, after Shelton had opened with five straight completed passes, and an interception of a Shelton pass in the end zone by Nolan Morrill late in the second quarter.

Luke Basiorka scaled e1695690316256

Sandburg sophomore running back Luke Basiorka runs for yardage during the Eagles’ 20-14 loss to Lincoln-Way Central on Sept. 22. Photo by Jason Maholy

The penalties — seven for 75 yards — included a trio of debilitating personal foul calls for late hits and the like, the most egregious of which was a running into the punter call on the Knights’ last drive. Coming with about three minutes to play, it allowed Central to retain possession and they subsequently ran out the clock.

A bright spot for Sandburg, and what made the personal fouls all the more painful, was its second-half offense. After gaining 93 yards in the first half — only 15 on the ground — the Eagles picked up 188 yards after the intermission.

Sandburg cut into the Knights’ 17-0 halftime lead with a 13-play, 80-yard drive capped by a Shelton 1-yard plunge. The Eagles trimmed the gap to 20-14 on a 12-play excursion featuring three third-down conversions and climaxing with the fifth and final Shelton-Weisberger collaboration of the evening.

“They had a really good game plan to stop us in the first half,” McAllister said. “We kind of made our adjustments, opened it up a little bit, and were able to move the ball.

“Our defense did a good job in the second half. It felt like one more possession is all we needed.”

AnthonyShelton Scramble scaled e1695690408209

Sandburg junior quarterback Anthony Shelton scrambles away from the Lincoln-Way Central defense during a game on Sept. 22. Photo by Jason Maholy

2 Comments

  1. […] Story continues […]



  2. […] Story continues […]



Local News

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound December 6, 2023

Spread the love

Spread the love

Suphi Kurdi, brother of the late Murod Kurdi, and their mother, Fadia Muhamad, are joined by attorney David Petrich after the hearing. They vowed to seek justice. (Photos by Steve Metsch)

Fine, community service for woman who killed man in fatal accident

Spread the love

Spread the loveVictim’s family outraged over outcome By Steve Metsch Six months after the car she was driving hit and killed Murod Kurdi, Leanne Cusack had her day in court. On Tuesday, she was found guilty of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident – the only charge against her – for the fatal…

Mary Stanek

Neighbors lighting the way to Christmas season

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 517-7796 . It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere me and Oliver go! Thank you, neighbors. The blocks around my home are simply beautiful with the displays. To get yourselves more in…

Peggy Zabicki

Hanukkah, a holiday of happiness and peace

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 . Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. and the miracle of the temple lights lasting eight days with just one day’s supply of oil. Hanukkah is…

Penelope Maka, 7, of Palos Heights, and her brother, Jacob, 10, met with Santa at the Palos Heights Kris Kringle Market on Friday night. (Photos by Kelly White)

Palos Heights celebrates holiday season at Kris Kringle Market

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Palos Heights community welcomed in the Christmas season by showcasing its small-town charm and holiday cheer this past weekend. Residents from Palos Heights, along with those from surrounding communities, came out to celebrate the Holidays in the Heights at the city’s Kris Kringle Market on December 1 and December…

Saint Xavier running back Amari Venerable tries to break a tackle in a loss to Northwestern (Iowa) in the NAIA quarterfinals. Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Department of Athletics

College Report | SXU football falls in quarterfinals

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For three quarters, Saint Xavier went nearly toe-to-toe with the No. 1-ranked football team in the nation. Justin Pringle had returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown to bring the Cougars to within three points of Northwestern (Iowa), the top-seeded team in the NAIA playoffs and the…

Richards grad Sean Lewis is the new football coach at San Diego State. Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

Area Sports Roundup | Richards grad Sean Lewis ready to air it out in San Diego

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The rollercoaster ride continues for Sean Lewis. The Richards alum went from being the head coach at Kent State to the offensive coordinator at Colorado, one of the most talked about college football programs in the country this season because of Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. He was…

Argo's Alizza Quinones gets ready to pass the ball against Andrew at last year's Sandburg Holiday Tournament. The Argonauts are scheduled to return to this year's tournament in Orland Park. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Girls Hoops | Sandburg and Oak Lawn to host holiday tournaments

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The field has been finalized for the third Sandburg Holiday Classic, which is the only girls basketball holiday tournament in the area to feature 16 teams. The host Eagles will be joined in the event, to be held Dec. 27-29, by area teams Oak Lawn, Richards, Argo and…

Rich Miller

Get ready to tighten those belts

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Rich Miller . The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget released a revised state revenue and spending forecast last month for the current fiscal year and it’s pretty good. Its projections for next fiscal year, however, were not nearly as strong. Projected Fiscal Year 2024 revenues have been revised upward by…

CRRNH_TimHadacColPix_120623

Unique, cheerful, local crafts at Hale Park

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound . I’ve never been one to decorate for Christmas, just for the sake of decorating. And I’m not a fan of many of the things we see these days. I’ll take a pass on Christmas decorations that involve images of celebrities, pro sports logos,…

Neighbors

For at least 6 months, state failed to act on Carlinville funeral director that mishandled remains

For at least 6 months, state failed to act on Carlinville funeral director that mishandled remains

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com State regulators allowed a Carlinville funeral director to operate for months despite a complaint filed by a local coroner who found a decomposing body in his funeral home and alleged the care of the remains was “unacceptable and criminal in nature.” While trying to assist a local family…

Dolly Parton Imagination Library officially launches statewide in Illinois

Dolly Parton Imagination Library officially launches statewide in Illinois

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children’s books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program founded…

What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban

What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban

By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Gun owners face a Jan. 1 deadline to register their assault weapons with the state under Illinois’ assault weapons law. But between lawsuits and ongoing policymaking, the exact guns, accessories and ammunition covered under the Protect Illinois Communities Act remain unclear to many gun rights advocates, who point…

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol News Illinois Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about the 2023 petition filing deadline for Illinois’ 2024 primary election.   Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy

Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy, Cristopher…

State high court finds medical personnel exemption to biometric information privacy law

State high court finds medical personnel exemption to biometric information privacy law

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the state’s strongest-in-the-nation biometric information privacy law does have an exemption: health care workers who use fingerprints or similar scans to access things like medication, materials or patient health information. In a unanimous opinion, the justices ruled against a pair of…

Illinois Supreme Court: FOID records exempt from public disclosure

Illinois Supreme Court: FOID records exempt from public disclosure

By PETER HANCOCK  Capitol News Illinois  phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that people may obtain records about their own Firearm Owners Identification cards, but they may not use the state’s Freedom of Information Act to do so.  In a 7-0 ruling, the court said the Illinois State Police acted properly when…

Temporary staffing agencies seek to block new state labor law

Temporary staffing agencies seek to block new state labor law

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A group of temporary staffing agencies and their trade associations are asking a federal court to block enforcement of a new state law that governs how day laborers and temp workers are managed and paid. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Chicago, challenges several changes…

Former GOP senator, third-party governor candidate to represent himself in corruption trial

Former GOP senator, third-party governor candidate to represent himself in corruption trial

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Monday was supposed to have been the first day in the weeklong federal corruption trial of former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann, who allegedly misused more than $200,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses. A pull-down projector screen in the Springfield courtroom of U.S. District Judge…

Candidates for 2024 primary brave cold for potential ballot advantage

Candidates for 2024 primary brave cold for potential ballot advantage

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois  jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Monday marked the kickoff for the 2024 election cycle, with hundreds of candidates filing their petitions at the Illinois State Board of Elections. Those in line by 8 a.m. Monday at the ISBE building in Springfield will be entered into a lottery to be the first…