On Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, Libertyville’s varsity football team played a fierce home game against their Lake Forest rivals. The game was close until the end, spanning multiple overtimes, but Libertyville ultimately came up just short, losing to the Scouts 28-31.
Both teams came into the game from very different starting positions. While Lake Forest was still celebrating a 38-6 Sept. 8 win over the Waukegan Bulldogs, Libertyville was coming off a 28-8 same-day loss against the Warren Township Blue Devils. From the get-go it was a tough game, with both teams fighting tooth and nail for every yard.
While Lake Forest started the game with possession of the ball, Libertyville’s defense held, and the ball changed sides multiple times throughout the first twelve minutes. In fact, by the time the clock ran out for the first quarter, the game remained scoreless.
It was in the second quarter of the game that things began to change. Senior and cornerback Mason Marabella (1), who has played football for seven years, two on varsity, said that he was most proud of “our effort. No one let up at any play. We were 100% the entire game.”
Junior and wide receiver Stevan Gavric (11) had the first touchdown of the night, mirroring his first touchdown of the season in a home game against Lemont weeks prior. Senior Charlie Clark (34), playing in the position of middle linebacker and running back, finished off Libertyville’s successful play with a two-point conversion.
Lake Forest, despite playing on an opposing field, struck back against the Wildcats, with junior and wide receiver Charlie Markee (81) running into the endzone for a touchdown. Despite a continuously strong offense from Libertyville players, it was the first of two touchdowns scored by the Scouts. The first half of the game ended with Lake Forest narrowly ahead 14-8.
Both teams played hard throughout, but the first four quarters did not make the game impressive. Rather, it was the three overtimes wherein each team’s defense tightened and locked down, denying any scoring.
Tied 28-28 in the third overtime during a defensive battle, Lake Forest managed to kick a field goal, ending the game on Libertyville’s home turf, winning 31-28.
While the loss was a blow to the home team, morale is not lost as they anticipate their fifth game, another away match-up.
The Wildcats will play the Bulldogs on Friday, Sept. 22. Meanwhile, a long-term goal of Marabella and the team is to “make it as far as we can in the playoffs.”
The loss against Lake Forest only serves to motivate the team.
“We’ve got Waukegan next week,” said Marabella, “but we’ve got to focus on ourselves… We just have to get better at doing the little things and stay disciplined.”