Injured after one series against Morris last week, Kaneland senior starting quarterback Jalen Carter could only watch as his Knights gave up 28 straight points to start the game, an eventual loss.

Healthy enough to return Friday against Sycamore, Carter recorded more than 250 yards of total offense and helped Kaneland to a 34-14 win, its first over the Spartans since 2018.

[ Buy photos from this game ]

“It was hard watching my team play and not be able to be out there with them,” Carter said. “It’s a great feeling to come out, play as a team, and win.”

The Spartans (3-3, 2-1 Interstate 8) led early, but the Knights took a 14-7 lead into halftime. The teams traded touchdowns to start the third quarter. Carter ran in from a yard out to cap a 70-yard drive and go up 21-7.

But Sycamore answered back when on fourth-and-4 from the 19, Griffen Larsen found Ben Anderson for a touchdown with 4:04 left in the third.

Kaneland (5-1, 2-1) responded with a five-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 7-yard pass from Carter to Jackson Little and a 27-14 lead.

Sycamore was moving toward the end zone in the fourth quarter, facing a second-and-4 from the Kaneland 29 when Jake Buckley stuffed Vasilios Arhos for a loss. A false start then backed the Spartans up into a third-and-10 that they couldn’t convert, leading to a punt.

Sycamore ripped off a 70-yard scoring drive, capped by a 30-yard touchdown run by Carter Grabowski with 5:55 left to make it 34-14.

“We really wanted to come out here and beat them,” Carter said. “We worked as a team and got work done today.”

With the Knights trailing 7-0 after the first Sycamore drive, Carter was intercepted on his first pass attempt. It was tipped by Cooper Bode and hauled in by Josiah Mitchell and returned 33 yards to the Kaneland 5.

But the Spartans couldn’t punch it in, giving the ball back to the Knights.

“If we could have gone up 14 there, it would have been nice,” Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said. “But they played really well and we didn’t do a very good job stopping them in the second half.”

After the Knights tied things up, the Spartans ran 12 plays to get the ball down to the Kaneland 20. On fourth-and-6 from the 14, they again went for it but failed to convert.

“Our defense, they rise up to the moment,” Kaneland coach Michael Thorgesen said. “When it’s hard they seem to play better. We did the same thing last week with Morris, it just didn’t feel like it. They rise to the occasion.”

On the ensuing drive, the Knights tried a trick play. Brady Brown took the ball on a sweep, but unleashed a pass to a wide-open Evan Frieders. But the ball was underthrown, and Luke Howieson came away with the interception.

The Spartans followed with a three-and-out. Taking over with 2:38 left at midfield, Brown made a catch on the ground, bobbling the ball but hauling it in on third-and-7 on the 27. On the next play, Carter zoomed up the middle for 24 yards, then Grabowski punched it in from 3 for the score and a 14-7 Kaneland lead with 0:37 left in the second quarter.

“We don’t get to do that much on Sycamore,” Thorgesen said. “They’re always a really well-coached defense. I think our offensive line just put the hammer down in the second half. They just opened up lanes and played courageous.”

The Sycamore defense held Grabowski to 15 rushing yards in the first half, although he had three catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. He finished with 22 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Carter had six carries for 42 yards and was 16-for-19 passing for 216 yards and two touchdown passes.

Arhos had 143 rushing yards and a touchdown. Griffin Larsen was 13 for 21 for 153 yards and a touchdown. The Spartans were plus-two in the turnover battle and outgained the Knights 207-177 in the first half. Kaneland finished with a 186-115 edge in the second half.

Thorgesen said the team made the decision to start Carter on Thursday. He helped the Knights pick up their first win against Sycamore since 2018. It’s also the first win against Morris, Kaneland or Rochelle since Thorgesen took over as head coach before the 2023 season.

The Knights likely locked up their third straight trip to the postseason under Thorgesen with the win.

“We’ve had some heartbreakers over the years,” Thorgesen said, referring to a 22-21 loss to the Spartans on a late 2-point conversion in 2023. “I felt like the kids were ready. We said we’re ready to win now. And we did.”