Lincoln-Way West’s Austin Rowswell was feeling tense Friday night.
The senior receiver was in the middle of the action in a back-and-forth game with Lockport. He had his share of anxious moments and probably could have used some Alka-Seltzer or Tums.
“My stomach was hurting the entire game,” he said.
But Rowswell delivered a gut punch to the host Porters, catching a 2-point conversion pass from Chase Hetfleisch for a 40-39 double-overtime win in the Southwest Valley Conference crossover.
Hetfleisch completed 21 of 35 passes for 282 yards and ran for a 10-yard touchdown on the first play of the second OT for Lincoln-Way West (5-3). Rowswell, who holds several Division I offers, added four catches for 119 yards as the Warriors became playoff eligible.
Senior defensive back Ryan Stiglic, who recovered a fumble and ran it in for a TD, broke up a pass play in the end zone on fourth-and-goal. He also made some big plays on special teams, including a 40-yard kickoff return to open the second half. Jimmy Talley added two TD runs.
Junior receiver/returner Adam Kozak caught two TD passes, threw a 54-yard TD pass to junior quarterback Brendan Mecher and returned a kickoff 99 yards for another TD in the third quarter. Senior running back Tyler Pospisil ran for 129 yards and a TD for Lockport (3-5).
Lincoln-Way West coach Luke Lokanc had no doubts he was going for two in the second OT after Zach Hermanson, his kicker, and Lockport’s Gavin Monreal had traded field goals in the first OT.
It was just a matter of getting the ball into the hands of Rowswell, who was open on the left side of the end zone.
“Oh, man, I was on the sidelines praying,” Stiglic said. “I saw the ball go up and I saw him just sweep right past the guy, and it was a fantastic play.
“It was amazing to see that — to win the game like that. He’s a big-time player.”
Rowswell made three receptions of 35 or more yards without any TDs. That doesn’t bother him.
“I don’t need the touchdowns and I don’t need the big stats,” he said. “Getting first downs is what matters. Getting first downs on third-down plays. Things like that.”
He had catches of 41 and 35 yards during a drive in the second quarter to help wake up the offense after the Warriors found themselves trailing 12-0.
Lokanc was also happy with the way Stiglic caused some trouble in different ways.
“Ryan Stiglic is a great kid and a competitor,” Lokanc said. “He’s also a good pole vaulter. Our program lives and dies with kids like that — team-first kids who are multisport athletes.
“He’s having a great year for us and I’m really proud of him.”
Stiglic was happy to play his role while scoring on a fumble return for the Warriors.
“It felt so good in a game like this because it’s a rivalry game, and it boosted up the team a little bit,” he said. “I saw the ball go over his head, and I scooped it up and scored.”
Lincoln-Way West was coming off a 64-0 win over Champaign Centennial, which had a 4-2 record and was averaging 34 points a game at that time.
The Warriors also snapped a two-game losing streak after close setbacks to Naperville Central 14-7 and Naperville North 38-33.
Those games, coupled with Friday’s nail-biter over the Porters, give the Warriors a jolt of confidence with the playoffs on the horizon.
“If we put everything together, we are a state-contending team,” Rowswell said. “This was a demonstration of that. Once we put all of the pieces together, we will be there.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
