The varsity football team fought hard but came up just short in their final game of the regular season against the Stevenson Patriots, losing 28-35 on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
Taking place in Libertyville’s home stadium, the game was guaranteed to be a hard-fought challenge from start to finish.
At first, the game seemed like it would lean heavily in favor of Stevenson. The Patriots scored on the very first play of the game, then again later in the first quarter. The Wildcats suddenly found themselves facing a 14-point deficit. The energy, it seemed, favored the Patriots.
Stevenson had established themselves in a force coming in, the team fresh off a four-game winning streak, securing victories over the Mundelein Mustangs, Lake Forest Scouts, Zion-Benton Zee-Bees and Waukegan Bulldogs. They also only had two losses for the season by a combined 30 points, against the Lake Zurich Bears and Warren Township Blue Devils.
Libertyville, however, did not back down easily. The Wildcats were far from an underdog, having only three losses for the season by a combined 24 points, with two of their losses being in overtime. They had also won their previous two games against Mundelein and Zion-Benton, shutting out both teams, Mundelein by 41 on homecoming night and Zion-Benton by 28.
Perhaps it was this past success that kept Libertyville moving forward. The Wildcat defense strengthened, led by multiple successful tackles throughout the game from senior Mason Marabella (1) and junior Mason Strader (2). Finally, Libertyville junior and wide receiver Sam Seth (6) made the first touchdown of the game, putting the Wildcats on the board.
Stevenson scored again in the second quarter, putting them up to a 14-point lead once again. However, Libertyville’s offense stepped up again, with junior and wide receiver Stevan Gavric (11) securing his first of two touchdowns for the Wildcats, putting them within seven points of the Patriots for a second time.
Gavric, who had 129 receiving yards over the course of the night, said that he likes “how our guys keep on fighting. You [might] get down early or something bad happens, but every single game we’re fighting.”
Going into the third quarter, the Wildcats tied up the score for the first time all game with a touchdown from sophomore Gavin Dickson (26). While Stevenson scored again to gain a 28-21 lead, Gavric scored as well, putting the game at a 28-28 deadlock heading into the fourth quarter.
“It felt amazing to be able to help my team,” Dickson, a running back, said.
Senior Owen McGrory (50), an offensive and defensive lineman, said that he enjoyed how “we fight every single game. We had a lot of close games this year but I think going into the playoffs we’re in a position where we have that experience and we’re going to put it together.”
While Stevenson ultimately scored one final time in the last minute of the fourth quarter to clinch a 35-28 win, the Wildcats season is not yet over.
“I think how we start games, we can improve upon that,” McGrory said. “This year we’ve really gotten down early and that really makes it hard to win games. And I think if we can control that we can make a deep run.”
Entering the playoffs with a 5-4 overall record, the Wildcats will next play the 7-2 Cary Grove Trojans in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.