Sports

Giant Rally Stuns Niles North

Highland Park High School's come from behind victory sets up league title game with Glenbrook North. Giants equal best record in school history.

Heads up football by Grant Chuckerman in the final five minutes keyed the Highland Park High School football team’s 21-20 victory over Niles North Friday in Skokie to put the Giants on the precipice of the Central Suburban League North Division championship.

The victory kept Highland Park’s league record undefeated (4-0, 7-1 overall) heading into the season finale against unbeaten Glenbrook North (4-0, 6-2 overall) at 7 p.m. Friday at Wolters Field. The winner will take home the championship trophy.

Trailing 20-14 with less than five minutes to play, the Giants were forced to give up the ball. Josh Pollack’s punt hit a Niles North player and Chuckerman fell on it at the Viking 12. Three plays later, Tommy Sutker found Cole Greenberg in the end zone to tie the game. Pollack’s kick gave them the lead.

Find out what's happening in Highland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There was plenty of football left. The Highland Park defense forced a late punt but it took a third and eight pass from Sutker to Grant Paley with less than two minutes to play to obtain the first down enabling the Giants to run out the clock.

Highland Park started the scoring on a 26-yard passing play from Sutker to Paley before Niles North scored twice for a 12-7 lead. Just before the first half ended, the Giants took the lead again. A 47-yard completion from Sutker to Paley set up Sutker’s short touchdown run for a 14-12 halftime lead.

Find out what's happening in Highland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In the second half, the Giant offense stalled in part because two of Sutker’s passes were intercepted. The defense kept Highland Park in the lead stopping Niles North three times inside its 25 before it finally scored a touchdown and two-point conversion for a 20-14 lead.

Kelshawn Shields carried the ball 16 times for Highland Park for 75 yards.

With a 7-1 mark, the 2013 edition of the Giants equaled the performance of the 1964 team to tie those Suburban League champions for the best record in Highland Park High School history.

Want Highland Park news in your inbox? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. Then, "like" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here