Grief-stricken T.F. South falls in
semifinals
November 24, 2002
BY RANDY WHALEN SPECIAL
TO THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
BLOOMINGTON, Ill.--Jarred
by the news that a teammate had been killed in a car accident the night before,
T.F. South was beaten 21-14 by Bloomington in the Class 6A semifinals Saturday.
Sophomore defensive back
Michael Billstrand, a 15-year-old who had been promoted to the varsity for the
playoffs, was killed after he reportedly was ejected from a vehicle that split
in half after hitting a metal light post Friday in Munster, Ind. Three other
youths suffered injuries.
Most of the Rebels learned
about Billstrand's accident late Friday, and many held a vigil at the hospital
until early Saturday.
|
Bloomington 21 |
|
T.F. South 14 |
"We were crying and
pouring our hearts out,'' T.F. South running back Pierre Thomas said. ''We
still had to focus on the game. We tried our best, but it was hard.''
T.F. South coach Tom Padjen
said it was difficult for players to overcome their emotion. The Rebels wore
black tape on their helmets with Billstrand's No. 33 on it.
"We lost a family
member in Michael,'' Padjen said. ''He was an outstanding young man. It's just
a disappointing way to end a great season.''
The Rebels (11-2) opened a
14-0 lead before allowing three consecutive touchdowns. Thomas had a three-yard
touchdown run, then added a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown while
playing defensive back.
But Bloomington rallied
late in the first half. The Purple Raiders (13-0) drove 61 yards in eight plays
and scored on Andre Brown's five-yard touchdown pass to Eric Esch 1.2 seconds
before halftime.
Bloomington made it 14-14
on a one-yard run by Damon Mehlberg with 7:47 left in the third quarter, and
that's the way it stayed until the Purple Raiders gambled on fourth-and-four
from midfield midway through the fourth.
Esch went back in punt
formation, but he faked the kick and ran around the right side for five yards
and a first down. On the next play, Esch caught a 43-yard pass from Brown to
the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Mehlberg again scored from the 1, giving
Bloomington a 21-14 lead with 5:03 left.