A unique energy enveloped the visitors’ sideline as No.25 Palatine readied to clash with No.8 Whitney Young in a Class 8A postseason opener at Rockne Stadium on Friday night.

The Pirates, freshly removed from back-to-back opening round exits in 2023 and 2024, took the field hungry for the playoff triumph that had eluded them in past seasons.

Aside from a slow start on a brisk Halloween night, Palatine attained the postseason success it starved for, crushing the Dolphins 29-8.

“It’s the brotherhood,” Palatine senior Joseph Reiswig said. “We’ve been playing on varsity since 2023, never gotten a playoff win. We wanted one so bad this week. You can’t even imagine how hard we worked this week to get this.”

Young opened the scoring with a 59-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion to take an early 8-0 advantage.

For the following 32 minutes of game time, however, it was all Pirates.

On the ensuing Palatine possession, senior signal-caller Will Santiago began to establish a consistent passing attack, completing 4-of-5 passes on the drive for 29 yards. After a Whitney Young personal foul moved the ball to the Dolphins’ 4-yard line, senior Kole Fager took the direct snap and crossed the goal line for the Pirates’ first score.

Looking to tie the contest with a two-point conversion, Santiago and the offense got tricky.

Fager took the direct snap once again. Santiago, sprinting from where he originally lined up as an outside receiver, hauled in the lateral from Fager before lofting the tying pass to senior Jett Greiwe.

After a rapid three-and-out forced by the Pirates’ defense, Palatine struck again with a 46-yard dart over the middle from Santiago to Fager leading the way for Fager’s second touchdown of the day, this one a 9-yard receiving score.

Fager, a game wrecker for Palatine on both sides of the ball, finished with 103 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions, along with six carries for 62 yards and three more scores. The senior topped off a monstrous offensive showing with an interception on the defensive side.

“I think a big thing for our team is being able to flip that switch,” Fager said. “Being able to be on that field with my brothers, looking in their eyes, seeing the dedication, the fire … It’s really just amazing to see out there and I saw it all night long.”

Reiswig, an off-ball linebacker who paved the way as a lead blocker on each of Fager’s three rushing touchdowns, led a swarming defense for Palatine that completely stifled the Dolphins in the second half.

“It always goes back to the teammates,” Reiswig said. “I always have to credit the D-Line. It’s the easiest job in the world when you’ve got Tony (Balanganayi), Jaylen (Maiden), Evan (Downer). … This is what Palatine football is.”

Junior wideout and defensive back Jayden Evans starred on both sides of the ball, racking up 34 total yards and an interception in the first half.

The Pirates will face Lincoln-Way East in the second round.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20251031/prep-football/palatine-snaps-playoff-skid-handles-young-to-reach-second-round/