The Fighting Scots, regionally ranked sixth, traveled to Lake Forest College on Saturday, November 9 to take on the third ranked Foresters, attempting to take first place in conference and clinch a playoff berth.
For the first time in two weeks, the Scots grabbed the first points when Nate Wrublik rushed four yards into the endzone. Cody Szelc put up the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
It was all Lake Forest for most of the first quarter. Their quarterback Joshua Gasca handed the ball off to A.J. Jackson, Lake Forest's most outstanding running back and wide receiver in the school’s history, for the touchdown. Kicker John Shannon put it through the uprights and tied the game at seven.
“There were definitely some play calls that had us raising eyebrows,” Jackson said. “With the iPads now being allowed on the sideline it allows us to make adjustments.”
Gasca found Jackson for what is supposed to be stopped for no gain, but Jackson broke through multiple tackles and snagged 47-yards for a touchdown. Jackson rushed again for another yard a couple drives later, extending the game to 7-21.
Monmouth didn’t give up. Deem threw to his right as Chase Newman ran 34-yards and cut the score to 14-21. A kick by Szelc tips off a Forester blocker and blew through the uprights.
Lake Forest held onto the ball for only a short while. Monmouth’s James Ethan intercepted a throw by Gasca, giving the Scots possession with the final minute approaching. With 41 seconds left, Deem found Thornton for a touchdown. Szelc nailed the extra point and tied the game at 21 with 30 seconds left in the first half.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the Scots ran a couple plays until the Lake Forest defensive line stripped the ball for a turnover. The Scots' defense took care of the drive, stopping the Foresters.
Deem then took the ball and marched the Scots down field. He handed it off to Wrublik, who bounced into the endzone for a four-yard rush. Szelc’s extra point placed the Scots in the lead, 28-21.
Lake Forest took possession and Gasca threw an interception when Derek Chandler gave the Scots back possession. Monmouth couldn’t strike on the turnover, leaving the score at 28-21 going into the fourth quarter.
With 12:49 left to go, Szelc attempted a 37-yard field goal to force a two-score game, missing it wide.
Lake Forest kept possession afterward for nearly the entire quarter. With 3:48 left, Gasca took a shot on fourth down, but the Scots defense shut it down.
The Scots grabbed a first down on the second play of the drive. Lake Forest took a timeout with 2:20 left in hopes of turning the ball over. Wrublik takes a handoff from Deem and runs right just six-yards short of the first down. Foresters take their second timeout at 2:13. Deem attempted a throw to Thornton, but Lake Forest stopped the play.
Szelc punted one to Foresters' Jackson, who ran to the Scot’s 15-yard line. He then ran into the endzone tying the game 28-28 after the extra point from freshmen kicker Shannon with 1:10 remaining.
With 44 seconds left on fourth down, the Scots go for it on a crucial handoff to Wrublik. The Scots fall short. Foresters grabbed possession after the gutsy play. They scored with another rush from Jackson with 20 seconds left, and Lake Forest took the lead, 28-35.
The Scots got one more drive. They grabbed a first down and with one second left, Deem couldn’t get a Hail Mary and the Foresters are the Midwest Conference champions.
“We trust what he [Lake Forest Head Coach Jim Catanzaro] sees and that he’s gonna put us in the best spot,” Jackson said. “It came down to who executed the best at the end, and we were able to squeeze it out.”
Monmouth takes on Knox on Saturday, November 16 for the Turkey Bowl at Knox College.