Junior quarterback Noah Escobedo wondered if this night simply wasn’t in the cards for Richards.
After all, Escobedo saw a tipped ball Friday turn into an interception for Lemont, another certain touchdown pass dropped and another reception during the fourth quarter end up as a fumble.
“I love being the quarterback,” Escobedo said. “But I also know we have a great defense, and I knew that we would get back on the field. We have so many great playmakers on this team.
“I just love getting them the ball in space.”
That’s exactly what happened as Escobedo’s 40-yard pass to junior receiver Kamani Sapara set up the go-ahead TD in a 21-10 win over host Lemont in a South Suburban Conference crossover.
Escobedo completed 20 of 28 passes for 194 yards as the Bulldogs (6-1, 4-0 SSC Red) earned their fifth straight win. His 22-yard run preceded the insurance score by North Dakota State-bound senior running back Myles Mitchell, a 23-yard burst with 1:42 left for his third TD of the game.
Aiden Rudman recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff and Lemont (4-3, 4-0 SSC Blue) converted that into a 3-yard TD by Jackson Dybcio. Michael Patino kicked a 24-yard field goal to give his team a 10-7 halftime lead.
But Mitchell, helped by Escobedo, scored twice in the final 5:42 to boost Richards to the big win.
“Noah knows how to deal with adversity,” Mitchell said. “He knows there are going to be ups and downs in every game, and he stayed level-headed and calm.
”He’s a good leader, and his confidence has really grown since the start of the season. He had to get it going earlier in the year.”
As a varsity rookie, Escobedo has had to take command of a veteran team.
“Coming into the season, I was a little bit shy being a junior and a first-year starter,” Escobedo said. ”These guys made me feel at home and I felt the excitement.”
Not even those three turnovers could deter Escobedo, either. He’s prepared for the moment.
“Before the game, I go through a lot of rituals,” he said. “I like to mediate and focus my mind on the game. That has been working a lot in calming my nerves.”
After Lemont took a 7-0 lead, Escobedo responded by directing a 17-play, 93-yard drive. He connected on 8 of 10 passes to start the game, demonstrating poise and steely nerves.
”I spent a lot of time in the offseason working on throwing deep,” he said. “I worked a lot on pocket movement and footwork. Huge shoutout to my offensive line for giving me that clean pocket.”
Richards coach Tony Sheehan confirmed that Escobedo combines savvy, smarts and presence.
“He’s just gotten better and better each week,” Sheehan said. “His confidence has grown. It didn’t go our way at the start, but he threw some really good balls out there.
“We threw him to the wolves in our first two games against Crete-Monee and Libertyville. He has grown a lot. He’s a very intelligent quarterback who understands what we want him to do.”
And Escobedo’s ascension to being the signal caller was almost casual, even accidental.
“I used to be a running back,” he said. “Toward the end of my eighth grade year, both of my quarterbacks got hurt, and that’s when I had to step in.
“I’m a center fielder in baseball, so I know how to throw. I loved being quarterback from the get-go. Everything felt natural.”
The 22-yard run by Escobedo that helped seal the victory also was his own call after he saw the linebacker overcommit at the line of scrimmage.
”The coaches talked before the game about big-time players making big time plays,” he said. ”In this game, with the atmosphere and environment, the fans going crazy, it was very fun to play.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
