Huge 4th Quarter Completes NCHS Football Playoff Rally

NORMAL — The first trip to the IHSA Class 7A state playoffs for the Normal Community football team will be one the school won’t forget.

Overpowered and outmatched by Plainfield North senior running back Quintin Hoosman in the first half and hamstrung by more than 100 yards of their own penalties, the Ironmen responded from a 13-point deficit by scoring 29 fourth-quarter points, including 21 points in the final 3 minutes, 37 seconds, for a remarkable 42-34 first-round victory Saturday night at NCHS.

“Never in doubt,” said junior wide receiver Christian Wey as if he actually believed it. “We always fight until the end. This is absolutely unbelievable. Just awesome.”

With the running game going nowhere against the White Tigers’ monstrous defensive line, senior quarterback Josh Kirshenbaum took the air to complete 25 of 47 passes for 311 yards and five touchdowns.

The Ironmen won their eighth straight game to improve to 8-2 and will play at Wheaton-Warrenville South next weekend. Game time has not been set.

“This was a full team win,” Ironmen coach Wes Temples said. “What a game. I’m almost speechless; I guess that’s why they play four quarters.”

NCHS trailed 28-7 at halftime, but the fourth-quarter performance will be one for the ages.

Wey’s 54-yard touchdown reception with 2:48 left cut the deficit to 34-28. After two huge tackles for loss by Mason Wright and AJ Devecchi to stop Plainfield North drives, Kirshenbaum hit sophomore wide receiver Steven Towns on a slant pattern for a 35-yard touchdown with 1:02 left. Alex Haines nailed the point-after to give the Ironmen their first lead at 35-34.

“I think we had more coaches on the field at that point than players. It was nuts,” Temples said. “Just an incredible game.”

Then with Plainfield North driving again, Wey came up with a stunning 64-yard interception return for a touchdown that set the home sideline – and the bleachers – into a frenzy.

“We decided to get some fire in our belly in the second half,” Wey said. “We came out and did just that.”

A couple of extraordinary plays kept the Ironmen in it.

Wide receiver David Boyd caught a 6-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-19 early in the fourth. He was also holder on the point-after try and had to handle a low snap. He made the pickup but was forced to scramble, spinning himself around before chucking the ball toward the end zone. The ball was batted twice before nestling into the arms of junior Riley Rahuba for a two-point conversion and a 28-21 score.

Plainfield North scored again with 3:37 left, but the Ironmen blocked the extra point to stay with two possessions at 34-21.

“We knew we had to respond when they scored to go up two (possessions),” Kirshenbaum said. “We knew if we fought anything could happen.”

Anything did happen. As 21 more points for the home team.

“If you look back at our last few games, we’ve really played well in the second half,” Temples said. “I don’t think anyone panicked at halftime.”

Hoosman, a 2,000-yard rusher this season, exploded for 287 yards and touchdown runs of 51 and 62 yards in the first half. He closed the half with a 96-yard run before David Boyd brought him down at the 1-yard line that set up 1-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak by JD Ekowa that gave Plainfield North a 28-7 lead.

Hoosman was slowed in the second half by an inspired NCHS defense and a left leg injury at the end of a 17-yard run that knocked him out of the game with 6:31 left in the game. He finished with 328 yards on 32 carries. Junior Zach Shelton finished at tailback and had 44 yards rushing on 10 carries.