A change in tactics paid off big for Sandburg in its 15-14 victory over St. Rita in a Class 6A quarterfinal Saturday.
“St. Rita is so big and physical that we had to throw the ball to loosen them up,” Sandburg coach Mike Navarro said after his team won its ninth straight game, improving to 10-2 and earning a semifinal berth at Downers Grove South.
Brian Buglio completed 16 of 22 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown. Fullback Rob Skubic caught 10 for 69 yards. Kevin Fahey had four for 69 more, including a 37-yard TD reception that gave Sandburg a 15-0 lead with 8 minutes 6 seconds left in the third quarter.
Sandburg had scored on Brian Enguita’s 1-yard run in the first quarter and Jason Long’s 30-yard field goal in the second.
St. Rita (10-2) got back in it in the third quarter, scoring on a 1-yard run by John Corielle (28 carries, 113 yards). Then, with 3:29 left in the game, Ahmad Merritt caught a deflected 9-yard touchdown pass from Jim Pfeiffer, but a conversion pass failed.
Sandburg faced 4th and 1 from its 29 with 1:37 left and went for the first down. Sandburg fumbled, and St. Rita’s John Gricus recovered at the 29. But St. Rita missed a 43-yard field-goal attempt with :45 to play.
Pfeiffer was 9 for 16 for 121 yards and a TD. Merritt had four catches for 49 yards.
“I made a big error going for it on fourth down,” Navarro said. “I thought we could get half a yard. I’ll never do it again. They won the game in spite of me.
“Nobody picked us to get this far. It’s a credit to our kids.”