The second round of playoffs was a thriller for the visiting Palatine Pirates. The 20-17 victory in overtime had to be one of the most electrifying moments of the season thus far. Crazy to the point where Head Coach Rick Splitt injured himself while celebrating.

The Pirates scored first after an interception by Jake Moertl. Moertl set the program record for most interceptions in a season with 8, and the defensive backs together broke the old record by cumulating 20 picks total for the season. Josh Turner ran the ball from the 1 yard line to give the Pirates an early lead.

A field goal by Lyons and a 65 yard screen pass from Ben Bryant to Brandon Fischer gave the home team a 10-7 lead heading into half.

Compared to the regular season, the Pirates had to overcome being down against Lyons. Palatine opened the second half with 14 plays of 67 total yards and a touchdown run by DJ Angelaccio to give the Pirates another lead.

An interception by JT Streepy midway through the third quarter allowed for more points on the board. Jack Grochowski nailed a 30 yard field goal after the interception to make it 17-10.

Lyons made the game interesting by tying the game at 17 apiece after a touchdown pass from Bryant with 6:48 left in the fourth.

A potential chance to win the game in regulation was denied after Grochowski missed a field goal.

In overtime, Grochowski redeemed himself by kicking the ball through the uprights which gave the Pirates a 20-17 lead.

“I ignored my miss earlier in the game,” Grochowski said. “I came back out and did what I had to do. The team believed in me and that’s what makes us special.”

The Pirates defense faced a do or die situation as they headed out for the second part of overtime. Giving up a touchdown would result in the end of the season, but the defense came up big. Johnny O’Shea came into the game on third down, and oh boy that was a solid move. O’Shea picked off the pass from Wisconsin commit Ben Bryant to secure the win for the Pirates and keep the season alive.

“This was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been apart of,” O’Shea said. “I am proud of how our team kept fighting throughout the whole game.”

The Pirates will host St. Charles East on Saturday at 5:00 P.M. for the third round of playoffs. The theme will be a blackout. #OneMoreWeek