A 19-14 South Suburban Red road loss to Eisenhower in Week 7 gave Argo coach Phillip Rossberg a bad case of déjà vu.
Two weeks earlier, the Argonauts traveled to Tinley Park for a South Suburban crossover and lost to the Titans by the same score in a similar fashion. In both games, a big play late — in this case, an interception thrown by Argo — decided the outcome.
Against the Cardinals, it was a touchdown with 16 seconds to play that made the difference.
“That’s two in a row that came down to the last minute,” Rossberg said. “This is a very tough loss. I feel badly for the kids, and I can feel it in the pit of my stomach.”
Despite the loss, Argo (3-4, 1-3) remains alive for an IHSA playoff berth. The Argonauts, who started 3-0, will end the regular season with a trip to Oak Lawn and a home date with Evergreen Park.
“Losing four in a row is tough,” Rossberg said. “But we’re still not out of it. We’re not going to finish the regular season 6-3 and possibly have a home playoff game. But we’ll keep coaching them up and keep looking forward.”
Argo grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when outside linebacker John Marrotta returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, after the Cardinals (4-3, 3-2) tied the game at 7-all, a blocked punt by Jakub Jarosz gave the Argonauts great field position at the Eisenhower 4. On the next play, running back Steven Holmes (19 carries, 67 yards) scored a touchdown, putting Argo back in front 14-7.
In addition to Marrotta’s interception, Argo’s defense also received contributions from Maciej Jarosz (nine tackles) and Jayvon King (five tackles).
“These guys have played together forever,” Rossberg said. “They were a touted group coming through. We’ve had some adversity and some injuries this season, but we still have an opportunity to go 5-4 and get playoff eligible.
“We have to keep pumping and know there’s a reason why these things are happening. There are life lessons with it, but you still have to show up, keep going and keep playing. Losing is tough, but these are life lessons about resiliency and getting back up.”