Plainfield S. holds on with a kick

OSWEGO -- Both the Plainfield South and Oswego East high school football teams struck three times for touchdowns in the second half, but East failed on two extra-point kicks and South won 21-19 Friday.

Plainfield South (3-5, 2-4) scored the first points with 9:56 left in the third quarter, on a 6-yard TD run by senior running back Rakeem Jones. The Cougars missed kick.

Jones followed with another TD run, this one 66 yards, with 4:46 left in the third. Junior wide receiver Todd Franklin caught a pass for the 2-point conversion, putting the Cougars ahead 14-0. Oswego East (4-4, 3-3) came back with a 6-yard TD run by Hunnando Brim. However, the South defense blocked the kick, keeping it 14-6.

With 9:32 left to go, the Cougars increased the lead on a 17-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback Jeffrey Kohl to junior tight end Luke Gundersen. Colton Kosicek kicked the PAT for a 21-6 lead.

Oswego East struck back with two scores -- a 1-yard run by Brim with 5:52 left and a 5-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Brad Crackel to senior wide receiver Matt La Turno with 1:14 left. But after Brim's TD run, a 2-point conversion attempt failed, Crackel's pass going out of the end zone.

Oswego East kicker Jamal El-Harazin made the extra point kick after his team's last touchdown, but the Wolves still were behind. El-Harazin attempted an onside kick, but Plainfield South got the ball, and the Cougars hung on to win 21-19.

"I thought our offensive line was good. They came out and played hard," said Plainfield South coach Mike Briscoe. "Our blitzing line found the holes.

"We didn't make the playoffs, and that was one of our goals. But it's still nice to see the kids come out and play hard," Briscoe said. "That's a credit to the Cougars, that these kids still want to win."

Briscoe discussed Plainfield South's effort to stop the Wolves' final touchdown."