OVERTON — It was a tale of two halves and the Wolfpack simply ran out of time.
Elgin Public-Pope John, down 21 at halftime, tied the game midway through the fourth quarter and saw a final drive come up yards short in a 49 to 42 loss to Overton in the opening round of the Class D2 State Football Playoffs.
Few teams in the annals of state playoff history have trailed by so much only to fight back and have a chance to win on their final drive. That will be the legacy of the Wolfpack – battered, bruised and still fighting to win in the end.
“The guys just kept lining up and executing,” Co-Head Coach Nick Heithoff told The Elgin Review immediately after the game. “We ran just 3 or 4 plays in the second half. They (Overton) knew we were limited, but that had to stop us and they couldn’t.”
Wolfpack sophomore Evin Pelster put a charge into the team and its fans when he took the second half kickoff and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. Pelster zig-zagged back and forth across the field then ran up the sideline, catching a big block from Gavin Kallhoff before crossing the goalline.
With a successful two-point PAT, EPPJ was down two scores with plenty of time on the scoreboard. They soon got the ball back just a few plays later when Kallhoff recovered a fumble near midfield.
With quarterback Karson Kallhoff sidelined with a concussion, the Wolfpack ran a ‘Wildcat’ offense where Jarek Erickson or Grady Drueke took the snap and ran the ball.
Seven times they ran the ball and, on the final run, scored to make it 35 to 28 with 7:11 left in the quarter.
The teams traded possessions before Overton QB Eli Luther found Dexter McCarter for their third touchdown, giving the Eagles a two-score lead.
EPPJ answered the score with one of their own. After Drueke ripped off a 39-yard run to put the ball deep in Eagles’ territory, the Wolfpack scored five plays later with an 8-yard run by Erickson, cutting Overton’s lead to eight points 42 to 34.
Needing a turnover, EPPJ got one when G. Kallhoff picked off Luther near midfield.
The Eagles were unable to stop Erickson & Drueke as EPPJ moved the ball down to the nine-yard line. Facing fourth-and goal on the nine-yard line, EPPJ called timeout.
In the huddle, Coach Heithoff designed a play not in the playbood. With Erickson unable to throw the ball due to a shoulder injury, Heithoff told Drueke to take the snap and roll out to the right. He did just that, then lofted the ball towards the left goalline pylon where Max Henn leaped high into the air to snag the ball for a touchdown. Erickson’s 2-point PAT tied the score at 42-all with 7:07 left in the game.
EPPJ’s defense couldn’t keep Overton out of the endzone and they drove 58 yards in just over three minutes to score on a 22-yard run by Luther.
Down seven with four minutes to go, EPPJ began their final drive at their own 29-yard line. Erickson had a 14-yard run to push the ball past midfield. EPPJ then were held to three yards on their next three plays, setting up a fourth down on the Eagles 34-yard line. On their final play, Drueke lofted up a pass for Henn which was picked off on the nine-yard line, then the Eagles ran out the clock to win the game.
“I’ve never been a part of something like that (the comeback),” Coach Matt Euse said.”I’m not surprised with this group, they don’t quit.”
…see more at this week’s Elgin Review.
