Reed-Custer wins triple overtime game for the ages Memorable night: Comets score 22 points in final 1:37 of regulation Off the wire: SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWS FROM STAFF REPORTS PLANO — It probably will be the wildest, wackiest football game that Dean Cappel will ever coach.

"To say the least, our game with Plano last Friday was beyond belief," said Cappel, the seven-year Reed-Custer High School coach. "It really is difficult to describe." All the Comets did was grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Reed-Custer scored 22 points during the final 1:37 of regulation and went on to post an unforgettable 56-50 triple-overtime road win over Plano. "Wow, we scored 44 points in the last 1:37 of the game and overtimes," Cappel said. "It certainly was a Cinderella story for us. But going through the line of shaking hands after the game, your heart certainly went out to Plano's players and coaches. Plano showed a lot of class and you know they were hurting after a loss like that." The Comets, who opened the season with a 14-0 Interstate Eight win at Peotone, trailed 34-12 with 2:30 left in regulation. Sophomore quarterback Gavin Johnston threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Pete Sekalias with 1:37 left. The conversion run failed, leaving the score at 34-18. Sekalias, a senior wide receiver/linebacker, recovered his first of two onside kicks. He then caught a 30-yard scoring pass from Johnston, who finished the game with 11 completions in 23 attempts for 130 yards and 4 TDs. Tom Clifford's 2-point conversion run narrowed Plano's margin to 34-26 with 1:17 left. Sekalias once again recovered an onside kick. With 30 seconds left, Jeremy Loveland hauled in a 6-yard touchdown pass from Johnston. Clifford's 2-point conversion pass to John Brissa tied the game at 34. "I'm standing on the sidelines talking with an assistant coach with about six minutes left in regulation," Cappel said. "The score was 34-12 and I said, 'Let's take our three timeouts now.' Plano ran the ball three times. Little did I know that a miracle would happen. Everything that could go right, did go right for us. "And how amazing is it that the same player, Pete Sekalias, recovers two onside kicks in less than a minute? There were so many outstanding plays in this game." Plano scored first in the initial overtime. Loveland, a senior halfback who finished with 58 rushing yards, answered with a 5-yard TD run. Clifford's clutch conversion run tied it at 42. The Reapers scored a touchdown and 2-point conversion in the second overtime, putting more pressure on Reed-Custer (2-0, 2-0). The Comets, however, came to the front once again. Clifford (83 yards rushing) caught a 4-yard TD pass from Johnston before throwing the tying 2-point conversion pass to Sekalias. The score stood at 50-50. "There was no room for error in those overtimes," Cappel said. "Clifford and Loveland, our two senior backs, took a lot of pressure off Gavin. We were forced to throw in the fourth quarter and use the two-minute offense. "Gavin's a sophomore and has a lot to learn. But he showed poise under pressure. He came up with some key plays, as did all of our guys." Loveland's fourth touchdown, a 2-yard run in the third overtime, was the game-winning score. At least on the high school level, the game was reminiscent of Notre Dame's come-from-behind win over Houston in the 1979 Cotton Bowl. Led by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, the Irish bounced back from a 34-12 fourth-quarter deficit to win 35-34. "This was probably the greatest comeback win in Reed-Custer football history," Cappel said. "I'm sure there were many fans leaving the game with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. We've had difficulty in the second week recently. We told the players before the game that breaking through is tough when you don't have a solid tradition. But we made some things happen late." The Comets have their home opener at 7:30 p.m. Friday when they host Coal City (2-0, 2-0), a 34-7 winner over Dwight. "Wilmington and Coal City are the class of the league, no doubt," Cappel said. "I think we can compete with most teams. Winning like we did last week was a step in the right direction. There aren't many breathers in this conference." 09/06/04