Foresters 4-0 for First Time in 20 Years
44-yard field goal secures homecoming win
  

Kevin Krabel tallied 11 tackles and added a forced fumble, an interception, and a sack.

A Pat Dunne (Palos Heights, IL/ Marist) 44-yard field goal with 3:46 remaining in the contest proved to be the winning score. After missing a 27-yarder early in the second quarter, Dunne atoned by connecting from 35 yards out in the third and on the game-winner. The senior co-captain also punted four times for an average of 39 yards, including a 34-yarder that went out of bounds at the 7-yard line.

In a defensive first half, Ripon pulled out to an early 9-0 lead with a 23-yard field goal and a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Trickey to wide receiver Tim Roehrig.

Late in the second quarter, the Forester defense put the home team on the scoreboard. Senior linebacker Kevin Krabel (Oakland, IL/Oakland) sacked Trickey and knocked the ball loose. Junior Tom Starnicky (Oak Lawn, IL/Marist) scooped up the loose ball at the Lake Forest 34 and, having been an All-MWC running back two seasons ago, knew just what to do with it. Sixty-six yards later, the defensive end had his first career defensive touchdown and seventh overall. Starnicky ended the afternoon with four tackles while Krabel notched 11 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception, and a sack.

The Foresters came out after halftime firing offensively. Junior quarterback Don Lackey (Lindenhurst, IL/ Antioch) connected with senior wide receiver Mike Fitzgerald (Aurora, CO/ Kent) for a 40-yard reception. On the following play, Lackey found sophomore Nick Hildreth (Lombard, IL/ Willowbrook) for a 12-yard gain, setting up Dunne's 35-yarder that put the Foresters on top 10-9.

On Lake Forest's next possession, Lackey hit sophomore A.J. Rodino (Elkhart, IN/ Elkhart Memorial) for an 11-yard pass play on third-and-eight from the Ripon 36, then followed with a 25-yard touchdown completion to Hildreth. Lackey finished the contest connecting on 15 of 38 passes for 157 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, while Hildreth had seven catches totaling 73 yards and a touchdown.

The homecoming excitement mounted in the 4th quarter when Ripon connected on a Trickey-to-Roehig 58-yard touchdown pass, their second scoring strike of the day. Ripon's two-point conversion attempt to tie the score failed. The Redhawks recovered a Forester fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive, setting up a field goal that gave the visitors an 18-17 advantage with 8:55 remaining in the contest.

Starting from their own 14-yard line on the next possession, Lackey and the Foresters moved downfield in hopes of recording one last touchdown or putting Dunne in field goal range. During the Lake Forest drive, Ripon was penalized twice for pass interference, which totaled 26 yards. Lackey carried the ball twice for a combined 13 yards, found Hildreth for an 11-yard pass, and connected with Fitzgerald for a nine-yard reception. The drive stalled at the Ripon 27, and Dunne connected on the 44-yard field goal to put the home team ahead, 20-18.

Ripon's final offensive drive of the contest reached the Lake Forest 9-yard line with just 26 seconds remaining before another big play by the Forester defense preserved the win. Trickey dropped back to pass and was hit by Krabel as he was trying to throw the ball away. Krabel's hit spun the Ripon signal-caller around, turning the attempted pass into a lateral. After another Redhawk kicked the ball to keep it away from a Forester defender at the 23-yard line, it rolled out-of-bounds near the Lake Forest 35. The officials penalized Ripon 15 yards from the spot of the foul for kicking the football, moving the ball back to the Lake Forest 38 with just 13 seconds left. After an incompletion, Ripon's Mike Fritz's field goal attempt from 55 yards fell short and secured the thrilling win for the Foresters.

Junior Pat Gillihan (Leawood, KS/Blue Valley North) ended a pair of potential Ripon scoring drives with his first two interceptions of the year. The hard-hitting safety also recorded eight tackles, including six solos. Senior linebacker Casey Urlacher (Lovington, NM/ Lovington) led the Foresters with 19 tackles, while sophomore Omar Pickering (Mount Vernon, NY, Port Chester) added 11. Lake Forest managed the victory with only 171 total yards, compared to 397 for Ripon.

The Foresters will take their 4-0 record to Monmouth College next Saturday (October 5) for another Midwest Conference contest. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. Lake Forest will be looking to start a season with five straight wins for the first time since 1938.

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