Corsairs making big splash in Class 7A playoffs

WOODSTOCK -- When you win, driving all the way here from Mundelein, and splashing around in the mud and cold and rain for two hours somehow seems worth it.

So it was for Carmel High's football team here Friday.

They came. They saw. They got wet. They got dirty. But most importantly, they conquered -- holding off pesky Woodstock 10-7 in the Round of 16 of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs.

Next up for the Corsairs is a quarterfinal-round game next week, either at Geneva or at home against Hononegah.

This was a strange contest, with little scoring, and it also featured the return to action of Carmel's starting quarterback, Andrew Nerup. Nerup, who sat out last week due to illness, was pressed into second-half service when junior QB Larry Anato -- who came through in the clutch last week -- had trouble moving the club.

Carmel led 3-0 at halftime on Jimmy Miller's 20-yard field goal just before intermission.

The boot was a semi-sweet end to a drive that reached the Woodstock 1, then stalled due to a penalty.

In the third quarter, Carmel scored its only touchdown, and it was set up by when a Blue Streak player was hit by the ball on a punt. Carmel's Malcolm McCleary recovered on the Woodstock 36.

Eventually, the points were put up by Mr. Consistent -- Mike Taylor -- has he ran it in from the 6.

Woodstock scored with 2:36 left in the game on an eight-yard TD pass.

The drive was kept alive when the Streaks converted a fourth-and-32 with a 67-yard pass play.

After the score, Woodstock tried an onside kick, but the ball was illegally touched by a Streak before it went the required 10 yards, and Carmel recovered it anyway.

Three running plays and a punt into the end zone gave Woodstock the ball at its own 20 with 15 seconds left. On second down, Jake Larson picked off a pass to end the game.

Carmel was led in rushing by Stevenson (16 carries, 87 yards) and Taylor (25 carries, 90 yards). Carmel through just three passes and didn't complete any.

Clearly, it was a night for the defenses to stand out, and Carmel's did. CARMEL 10, WOODSTOCK 7