Boswell holds off comeback attempt by Arlington Heights to keep playoff hopes alive

It took a 39-yard dash from scrimmage with just over a minute to play to seal the deal for Saginaw Boswell in a 24-20 District 3-5A win over Arlington Heights on a cool Friday night at Farrington Field.

The win was the 100th for Boswell head coach John Abendschan in his 14th season leading the Pioneers.

After fighting back from a 24-7 third quarter deficit, Arlington Heights scored twice to narrow Boswell’s advantage to 24-20 with 1:57 to play. But on an almost perfectly executed onside kick, the Yellow Jackets touched the ball before it went 10 yards.

Wanting to run the clock out, Boswell was held to a yard on the first play before Berry broke his run down to the Arlington Heights 15-yard line, where the Pioneers could kill the remaining time.

Boswell built a 10-0 lead at halftime, scoring on a 16-yard burst from junior running back Josh Melero, then padding the lead with a 39-yard field goal by the strong-legged Oscar Ronquillo.

The Pioneers added two more scores in the third quarter, but Arlington Heights matched that effort with Boswell up 24-14 going into the final quarter. Yellow Jackets quarterback Travis Ketch found his rhythm by connecting on his final seven throws after a lackluster first half.

Boswell quarterback Brayden Thomas was also effective both throwing and running, with his highlight toss a 60-yard score to Torrance Wiseman.

The Pioneers hold out hope for a playoff berth, moving to 4-5 for the season and 4-3 in district play. Arlington Heights is now 2-7 for the season and 2-5 in league play.

This story was originally published November 1, 2019 at 10:04 PM.