Libertyville wins season opener in overtime thriller

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Libertyville's Stephen Skul (No. 16) tackles Barrington's Chase Murdock during Friday's season opener. | Ruthie Hauge ~ Sun-Times Media

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Updated: October 31, 2011 12:16AM

In Libertyville High School’s football history, plenty of great moments have occurred.

As far as season openers go, this overtime win ranks right up there — possibly as the best ever.

The host Wildcats upset highly regarded Barrington 23-20 in front of huge crowd Friday night.

With the Cats trailing 20-17 in overtime — and facing 4th-and-goal on the Barrington 1-yard line — Libertyville coach Randy Kuceyeski faced a monumental decision. Should he kick a short field goal to send the game to a second overtime, or risk it all by trying to win the game with one final play?

There was never a doubt in Kuceyeski’s mind. Following a timeout, Wildcats’ senior Hutch Herchenbach somehow squeaked past the Barrington goal line on a quarterback keeper — by a matter of inches, through a pile of bodies — for a game-winning score that set off a raucous celebration along the Libertyville sideline and in the stands.

“Coach (Kuceyeski) said (in the timeout before the final play), ‘We’re ramming (it) in their throats, and we’re gonna push it in the end zone and win the game,” Herchenbach said. “That final play was all our offensive line. The whole game was our offensive line. This win was for (Kuceyeski). It’s his last season, and we’re going out big.”

Kuceyeski, in his 15th season as the Wildcats’ coach, has been receiving radiation treatments after being diagnosed with oral cancer, and — which according to several Libertyville players — the treatments have been going well. After the game, Kuceyeski was overcome with emotion, wiping away tears of joy as he deflected his players’ praise.

“It was going back and forth the entire game, due to penalties and momentum shifts, and our kids kept responding, kept responding,” Kuceyeski said. “I don’t want it to be about me, I want it to be about them. It’s just about everybody together. It inspires me, them telling me that, and I don’t want to be the side effect without the team, as well.”

Indeed, Libertyville responded to adversity all evening long. After falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter, the Wildcats tied the scor on the ensuing possession with a field goal of their own by kicker Austin Williams. It capped a seven-play, 50-yard drive. The score remained at 3-3 until the third quarter.

An 85-yard touchdown run by Barrington running back Chase Murdock with 6:26 to go in the third gave Barrington its second lead of the night at 10-3. Less than four minutes later, Libertyville responded yet again with a 2-yard touchdown run by junior running back Joey Salata, tying it up at 10-10.

The Wildcats appeared to take control for good, when Salata scored the go-ahead touchdown — his second TD of the night — on a 3-yard run with 1:57 left in the fourth. However, Barrington wide receiver Dylan Zyzda made a diving catch on a 22-yard pass from quarterback Mark Bennett for a game-tying touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, sending it to overtime.

After Barrington took a 20-17 lead on a 20-yard field goal in OT, Herchenbach found Justin Guarnaccio on a key, 12-yard swing pass — on 3rd-and-goal from the 13-yard line — which set up Herchenbach’s game-winning QB sneak.

“Near the end of the game, I just kept thinking about the battles coach (Kuceyeski) is going through right now, and it inspired me,” Salata said. “What we went through (Friday night) is nothing compared to what he’s going through. I just knew we had it in us.”

Going all out: The evening started out with world renown vocalist Wayne Messmer singing the national anthem.

The Wildcats also camouflage jerseys to honor former Libertyville players who have served or are currently serving in the military.

Next up: The Wildcats also will be home this Friday, when they take on a brand-new opponent: Urban Prep. Game-time is 7:30 p.m.