June 03, 2025
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Lockport falls to Andrew in double-overtime matchup of 5-win teams

By Randy Whalen - Shaw Local News Network Correspondent

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TINLEY PARK – Lockport entered the last game of the regular season at Andrew pretty banged up. The Porters suffered more injuries throughout the game, and they also suffered something else.

A double-overtime loss.

Both teams scored touchdowns in both overtimes, but the Porters went for two points after their second TD and couldn’t connect, allowing Andrew to come away with a 28-27 victory Friday night in Tinley Park in a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover game that was big for playoff positioning.

The Thunderbolts (6-3) clinched their first playoff appearance since 2019. Lockport (5-4) lost for the fourth time in six games, but still qualified for the postseason. The Porters will visit Glenbard West (8-1) in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs Friday or Saturday.

“Being 5-4, we are going to get a 9-0 or 8-1 team,” Lockport coach George Czart said of the first-round playoff matchup. “We made our bed. We are going to sleep in it and then make it up, or we are going to make it more messy.

“But we never gave up, we never quit. I’m proud of our guys. We battled.”

Especially with starting quarterback Brady Pfieffer sidelined with an injury. Then, in a short amount of time in the second quarter, Lockport lost defensive back Danny Stevens to a broken leg and starting running backs Giovani Zaragoza and Aidan Preciado to leg injuries.

The Porters still were ahead 14-7 in the second half, but Andrew embarked on a 19-play, 72-yard touchdown march that took 10 minutes and 50 seconds. The T-Bolts converted a pair of fourth downs on the drive. Running back Mike Barberi banged in from 2 yards out to cap the drive, and Andrew Scislowicz converted the extra point to tie the game with 4:49 to play in regulation.

Linebacker Rob Baranowski had an interception with a minute left in regulation, and he returned it 42 yards to the T-Bolts 28. But two plays later Lockport fumbled the ball, and Andrew defensive lineman Aidan Zeman recovered. The game went into overtime.

Lockport had the ball first, and quarterback Caden Miller scored from 3 yards out. Miller, who was filling in for Pfieffer, finished with 14 carries for 51 yards and two touchdowns. He was also 10 of 15 passing for 89 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Andrew answered on an 8-yard TD pass from quarterback Andrew Skarzynski to Joey Burke on third down, and the game was tied at 21-21.

The T-Bolts had the ball first in the second OT. Skarzynski scored from 2 yards out on third down, and the conversion kick was good. Lockport came back and Miller made it in from 3 yards out on third down, but the Porters decided to go for two. A fade pass from Miller to Hyatt Timosciek on the left side was well-defended and incomplete to end the game.

“Absolutely,” Czart said when asked if the Porters were always going for two in that situation. “We can’t continue to go all night. It was hard to stop them. They were moving the ball all night. We felt good about the [2-point] play. We just couldn’t make the connection.

“I told everyone at the beginning of the season that all three quarterbacks we have are good. We had no problem starting Caden.”

Drew Gallagher, who was usually the Porter’s backup quarterback, was playing defensive back and held out from playing offense. Miller was ready for the opportunity.

“It felt great, it was exciting,” Miller said of getting his first varsity start. “But I couldn’t have done it without the guys up front. I’m glad the coaches had faith in me, and I’m ready if I have to go in the playoffs.

“But yeah, we wanted to win the game at the end. We gave it a nice shot, it just didn’t work out. We can’t dwell on this. We have to come out strong and get a win next week.”

Preciado plowed in from 3 yards out for a touchdown to open the scoring with 2:35 left in the first quarter. He finished with seven carries for 29 yards and the TD. Zaragoza had seven carries for 87 yards before leaving with the injury.

Despite the injuries, the momentum seemed to favor Lockport when it had a goal-line stand. The Porters were on the move from their own 1 deep into Andrew territory. But then sophomore linebacker TJ Burke came up with an interception that he returned 80 yards for a pick-6 with 3:14 left in the second quarter to tie the game 7-7.

Undaunted, Miller helped drive the Porters and capped the drive on a 2-yard TD pass to senior Michael Doneske for a 14-7 lead with 21.4 seconds left in the second quarter. That was the halftime score, but the T-Bolts rallied.

“Going into the playoffs, you always want to go in with momentum,” Andrew coach Adam Lewandowski said. “George [Czart] always does a great job with those guys, but this is big for us.”