Wheaton South 28, Hinsdale Central 27 (OT)
Jarrett sparks stellar rally in 2nd half by No. 5 team
By Bob Sakamoto
Tribune reporter

August 29, 2008, 11:35 PM CDT

This was the kind of opener that could propel a team to a special season.

Peter Jarrett surely had a memorable Friday night, catching the game-tying 8-yard touchdown pass to force overtime and then powering in from the 4-yard line for the winning TD in No. 5 Wheaton Warrenville South's 28-27 victory over No. 11 Hinsdale Central in Hinsdale.

"That touchdown catch was actually a botched play," Jarrett said of the culmination of a 70-yard scoring drive that began with 1 minute 44 seconds left in regulation.

Jarrett caught a 33-yard pass on that drive.

"I was supposed to block to the outside, but my guy got by me. I turned around, went to the end zone and made the best of it.

"In overtime, their defense wore down in the second half. We felt we could power it in."

Right after Jarrett's score, Hinsdale Central quarterback John Whitelaw (176 yards passing, 98 yards rushing) connected with David Banasiak on a 10-yard TD throw.

The Red Devils elected to go for two points, but Whitelaw slipped while scrambling and his pass was deflected.

Hinsdale's offense erupted in the first half for three touchdowns, beginning with Rich Zajeski's 49-yard run midway through the first quarter.

The next two scores were all Whitelaw. The junior had two 12-yard runs and a 12-yard completion to Alex Kirk in setting up a 15-yard TD run.

On that play, Whitelaw scrambled for extra time, pump-faked and then broke away to the left late in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, he hooked up with Chris Kiser on a 39-yard pass in which Shane Dierking's tackle at the 9-yard line saved a score — for one play. Whitelaw followed up with a 9-yard keeper.

Wheaton South finally retaliated midway through the second quarter when quarterback Joe Furco (15 of 35 for 201 yards and two TDs) scrambled to avoid a sack and fired a 43-yard scoring pass to Greg McAndrew.

The Tigers closed within 21-14 when Furco scored on a QB keeper from 2 yards out with 4:51 left in the third quarter.

Furco set that up with a 27-yard completion to McAndrew.

bsakamoto@tribune.com
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