Deerfield Stumbles in Playoff Opener

Trailing by 35 points against #3 seed Nazareth Academy, with under two minutes to play in a first round IHSA Class 6A playoff game, Deerfield used its final drive of the season to make a statement.

That statement being that there was no quit in this 14th-seeded Warriors team, who, despite a 35-6 loss to the Roadrunners Saturday, had an awful lot to be proud of.

And, with with under a minute to play, senior running back Ryan Adkins burst through the right side of the line of scrimmage for a 19-yard touchdown run. They were Deerfield's only points of the afternoon, but they were points that had a great deal of meaning to the Warriors and their fans, nonetheless.

"It was very important to score there," Adkins said after sharing emotional hugs with friends, family and teammates. "It was a great way to cap off the final game of my senior season, especially since I came back from shoulder surgery this year. But this season wasn't just about me, it was about the whole team, my teammates and how we overcame a lot of adversity."

In the end, Nazareth's team speed on both sides of the ball was too much for the Warriors to overcome. The Roadrunners scored rushing touchdowns on their first four possessions of the game, which gave them a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and a 28-0 edge by halftime.

The biggest reason was Nazareth junior running back Joshua Moore (19 carries, 157 yards). Moore's four rushing touchdowns and explosive speed beyond the line of scrimmage propelled the Roadrunners to a lead less than three minutes into the game. His 48-yard touchdown run made it 7-0, and Nazareth never looked back, holding Deerfield to just 10 yards of total offense in the first half.

"That's a good team over there (Nazareth)," Deerfield coach Steve Winiecki said. "You can't come out flat against a good team like them, and that's what happened early on."

"We have a lot to be proud of this season," Winiecki added. "We started the season 0-3, and won our next six games to make the playoffs. A lot of teams would have packed it in after that. Our guys didn't and that's a huge credit to who they are."

A Season To Build On

There was more than just a six-game winning streak to be proud of. The Warriors also finished a perfect 5-0 in the Central Suburban North, earning them a conference title, which included a dramatic clinching win in Week 9 against Highland Park.

Deerfield also won one more game than they did in 2010, when they finished 5-4. And with plenty of young talent expected to return in 2012, the Warriors could be a force to be reckoned with a year from now.

"This was a great group," Winiecki said. "We took a big step this year. Now we have to take another one."

Despite the lopsided score, the Warriors actually won the turnover battle Saturday by a 2-1 margin. Junior defensive back Brett Freedberg picked off Nazareth quarterback Samuel Poulos late in the second quarter, which stalled a Roadrunners' drive.

Senior Joseph Harris also recovered a Nazareth fumble late in the game that shut down yet another Roadrunner drive.

On offense, senior running back Tyler Vajdic (13 carries, 36 yards), Adkins (five carries, 27 yards) and senior fullback Jeremy Kritt (nine carries, 48 yards) did the bulk of the damage for Deerfield.

Box Score

Deerfield                         0       0       0       6    - 6

Nazareth Academy         21      7       7       0    - 35

How They Scored

First Quarter

N- Moore 48 run, (Ramsey kick), 9:36

N- Moore 31 run, (Ramsey kick), 6:38

N- Moore 4 run, (Ramsey kick), 2:16

Second Quarter

N- Poulos 1 run, (Ramsey kick), 8:25

Third Quarter

N- Moore 1 run, (Ramsey kick), 1:01

Fourth Quarter

D- Adkins 19 run, (Kick failed), 0:27

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Deerfield: Kritt 9-48, Vajdic 13-36, Adkins 5-27, Bess 1-17, Balder 3-9, Holway 15- -minus 32. Totals: 46-105. Nazareth Academy: Moore 19-157, Curtin 8-34, White 3-17, Poulos 6-16, Maloney 1-7, Muehlhauser 1-1, Bartels 2- -minus 5. Totals: 40-227.

Passing: Deerfield: Holway 2-4-0-7, Maki0-1-0-0. Nazareth Academy: Poulos 4-10-1-43.

Receiving: Deerfield: Harris 1-8, Kritt 1- -minus 1. Totals: 2-7. Nazareth Academy: Ewing 2-27, Manuel 1-11, Maloney 1-5. Totals: 4-43.

Total Team Yards: Nazareth Academy 270, Deerfield 112.