| Hinsdale C. suffers painful loss Daily Herald Reports Published: 11/3/2007 The loss Hinsdale Central suffered Friday was as painful as they come. The Red Devils had the ball and a 6-point lead over visiting Brother Rice with 3:06 left in the Class 8A second-round football game. Facing third-and-14 at his own 21-yard line, Red Devils quarterback John Whitelaw was sacked by Brother Rice defensive end Steve Wesselhoff. The ball came loose. Sophomore linebacker Shannon Rogers scooped it up and ran 16 yards to the Hinsdale Central 4-yard line. Two plays later Jeremy Rhodes' 2-yard run tied the score, and Sean Noble's extra point gave No. 4 seed Brother Rice a 21-20 win at Hinsdale's Dickinson Field. Twice a difference-maker, Wesselhoff blocked the kick after No. 12 seed Hinsdale Central's last touchdown, at 9:04 of the fourth quarter. "We were expecting to come in and win this game, but the manner that we did it is unbelievable," Wesselhoff said. Rogers said: "Coach (Steve Nye) said no letdowns, just believe in each other. People made big plays, and the fumble recovery was a big one." Hinsdale Central (7-4) lost in Week 9 on a controversial fumble call. Red Devils coach Mike DiMatteo will have to go to the film on this one, too. "I don't know whether our quarterback was down or not," he said. "I have 40 people in the end zone saying he was laying on his back and he was down. "I don't know, I didn't see it, so I really can't comment on it one way or another." It was the mother of all momentum swings in a game that, despite Hinsdale Central's statistical dominance, see-sawed back and forth. The Red Devils outgained Brother Rice 247 yards to 87. Sacks by Ryan Murphy, Mike Owens and Allan Cameron limited the Crusaders to 33 yards rushing. Rhodes' score earned Brother Rice its only first down of the second half. Hinsdale Central took a 7-0 lead on Rich Zajeski's 22-yard run behind linemen Tim Curran and Robbie Mains. Brother Rice (9-2), advancing to the 8A quarterfinals against Homewood-Flossmoor, scored on successive second-quarter drives to go into halftime leading 14-7. Sophomore call-up Jason Rafferty tied the score at 2:51 of the third quarter, on a 15-yard Whitelaw pass. Whitelaw's 9-yard pass to another soph, Alex Kirk, gave the Red Devils a 20-14 lead. Hinsdale Central senior Nick Chenier was the first co-captain to speak in a tearful postgame huddle. "I love them with the bottom of my heart," he said later. "They're like brothers to me, and I'll never forget them. It was a great season." -- David Oberhelman Copyright © 2007 Daily Herald Inc. http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=70325&src=290
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