Resiliency. That was the key word for Thursday’s football game between Sandburg and Lincoln-Way East.

Sandburg had started the year off 5-0 for the first time since 1998 only to drop two in a row. They were also dealing with an injury to QB Sean Ruisz last week in a win over Neuqua Valley. The Griffins, too, were dealing with their own QB injury with USC commit Jonas Williams sitting out his second consecutive game.

The Griffins had even more adversity thrown their way and nearly overcame it all. Instead, it was the Eagles’ resiliency that triumphed.

Ruisz connected with Quinn Durkin midway through the fourth quarter for a 38-yard touchdown pass to give Sandburg a one-point lead after trailing all night. Lincoln-Way East got a golden opportunity late, but were unable to pull ahead and an additional touchdown in the final second gave Sandburg a 21-13 victory.

Last week’s loss to Naperville North was the first time Lincoln-Way East lost a regular season game since 2021. With Williams sidelined, senior Tyler Knollenberg took the snaps last week under center. Thursday, coach Rob Zvonar turned to sophomore Evan LeFevour, who showed promise in going 16-of-28 for 140 yards and two scores.

However, the 6-foot-1, 180 pound signal caller was also picked off twice, including once on third and two near midfield with nine minutes left in the game. Ruisz conencted on the go-ahead TD less than two minutes later.

In addition to Williams, defensive end Jacob Alexander, an Illinois signee, was dressed out, but stood on the sideline for the second consecutive week. To add to the avalanche for the Griffins, receiver Blaise LaVista, a Washington pledge, left the game with a knee injury midway through the second quarter and did not return. He was on crutches in the second half.

Despite all of this, the Griffins nearly closed out their senior night with a win. While there were a mountain of factors going against Lincoln-Way East, Zvonar made no excuses after the game.

“The story of the night is it was a great job by Sandburg,” Zvonar said. “We got outcompeted and out toughed. We know our situation with who’s playing and who’s not and that’s going to get better, but right now we are who we are.

“We’re a 7-2 football team and we’re fading a little bit. There’s no doubt about it, but reinforcements are coming and we’ll see if we can get it fixed starting Monday. You’re not going to hear any excuses or pouting or anything here.”

A first quarter field goal by Grant Urban from 29-yards out initially gave the Griffins a 3-0 lead which was extended to 10-0 midway through the second quarter. That was when LeFevour connected with LaVista on a beautiful 24-yard TD strike, but it was also when LaVista went to the ground hard and needed assistance off the field.

Less than two minutes later, Ruisz hit Jeffery Bellik for a 44-yard TD on the rarely seen Lonesome Polecat formation to pull the Eagles within 10-7.

A 34-yard field goal by Grant late in the third extended the Griffin lead to 13-7, but the later interception by LeFevour set up the aforementioned TD by Sandburg.

With 2:30 left in the game, Sandburg punted back to Lincoln-Way East and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Eagles gave the Griffins the ball at the Sandburg 48. Down one, they needed about 20-30 yards to get Urban in field goal range. Instead, big defensive tackle Jaden Weaver sent LeFevour backwards twice in three plays to end the Griffin’s comeback attempt.

“He’s one of the best interior linemen in the area if not the state,” coach Sheamus Murphy said of Weaver. “He was in full swing in the second half.”

The Southwest Valley Blue Conference champion will now be determined Friday night. If Lockport defeats Neuqua Valley, the Porters are champs. If they lose and Naperville North beats Naperville Central, the Huskies are champs. If both lose, the trophy goes to the Eagles.

None of that matters to the Eagles.

“We have to give everything we’ve got no matter what,” running back Luke Basiorka said. “We’ve just got to leave it all out on the field regardless of anything else.”