Foresters Narrowly Edge out Knox 13-12 on the Road
Anthony Guli runs for 119 yards
  

Keith Hanson scored his first career TD and blocked a PAT.

Each team's longest drive of the first half was just 41 yards. Knox out-gained the Foresters 104-65 before intermission but fumbled the ball away twice and turned it over on downs one other time. Lake Forest's only significant drive of the half ended when a fourth-and-five pass from the Knox 14 fell incomplete.

The teams combined for just 37 yards of offense and four first downs in the third quarter. The Prairie Fire finally broke through with a 10-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to open the fourth, but the extra point attempt was blocked by sophomore Keith Hanson (Fairfax, VA/Chantilly).

Lake Forest was unable to score on its next possession but freshman Justin Ellerman's (Chicago, IL/Loyola) 49-yard punt put Knox at its own 33. Ellerman finished the day with nine punts averaging 42.9 yards with a long of 54. He has punted 25 times this season for an average of 39.7 yards. A penalty sent the home team back five yards and a bad snap from center was recovered by junior defensive lineman David Bleitner (St. Louis, MO/Vianney) at the 16, suddenly putting the Foresters in scoring position.

Four carries by freshman Anthony Guli (Buffalo Grove, IL/Stevenson) put the ball in the end zone and the extra point gave Lake Forest a 7-6 lead. Guli finished the afternoon with 29 carries for 119 yards and his seventh rushing touchdown of the season.

Sophomore linebacker Soren Johnson (Ripon, WI/Ripon) recorded his first career interception on Knox's next play from scrimmage, but the Foresters were unable to move the ball. Ellerman's punt was nearly perfect, going out of bounds at the Knox nine.

The Prairie Fire were unable to get a first down and Hanson returned their punt 41 yards to the end zone, giving the visitors a 13-6 lead.

The Lake Forest defense recovered its fourth fumble and forced its sixth turnover of the day with 4:10 remaining. The offense moved the ball to the Knox seven before fumbling itself. Knox's Matt Briggs picked up the loose ball at the 13 and returned it for a touchdown. An excessive celebration penalty was called on the Prairie Fire, moving the extra point attempt back to the 17 yard line, where their pass attempt failed.

Knox recovered the on-side kick but the ball had not traveled the required ten yards so Lake Forest took over at the Knox 45 and ran out the clock.

The Forester defense held Knox to just 180 total yards, including only 36 on the ground. Junior linebacker Omar Pickering (Mount Vernon, NY/Port Chester) led the team with ten tackles and also forced a fumble. Bleitner tallied eight stops, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Freshman linebacker Ryan Gallegos (Plantation, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) had seven tackles, a forced fumble, and his team-leading third interception of the season.

Lake Forest will travel to Illinois College (4-2, 3-2 MWC) next Saturday (October 18) for a 1:30 kickoff. The Blueboys lost 22-12 at Ripon College on Saturday. 

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