LOMBARD – Montini ruined the Aurora Christian football team’s comeback chances Friday night.
Montini senior Joey Borsellino forced a fumble by Aurora Christian running back Joel Bouagnon with just more than two minutes left in the game and the Eagles trying to run out the clock with a 27-24 lead.
“I was just playing safety and I saw that pitch that they threw out,” Borsellino said. “Our corner kind of slowed him up a little bit and the kid tried to run me over, but I got my hand in there and ripped that ball out. Then I turned around and I didn’t know where the ball was, but I saw it right in front of me and jumped on it.”
Moments later, Borsellino made the game-winning touchdown reception, hauling in a 19-yard pass from Mark Gorogianis for a 31-27 victory.
Aurora Christian got the ball back with 1:15 on the clock and one timeout. The Eagles drove to the Montini 35-yard line, but quarterback Ryan McQuade was intercepted in the end zone by James Maloney with two seconds remaining.
McQuade earlier led a valiant comeback by Aurora Christian (7-1, 5-1), which was trying to defeat the Broncos (6-2, 5-1) for the first time and remain in first place in the Suburban Christian Conference Blue division.
The Eagles trailed by 18 points in the third quarter, but scored 21 unanswered points, taking their first lead of the contest with 3:48 left in the game on a 12-yard pass from McQuade to Brandon Mayes.
“We had the momentum,” McQuade said. “We really did. Just a couple mistakes here and there and we didn’t come out on top today. That’s God’s will. I just thank God for all these guys here. I love all of them. Everybody played a phenomenal game.”
McQuade threw for 317 yards, completing 26 of 44 passes with just that one interception.
Mayes was his favorite target, catching nine balls for 107 yards.
Cory Windle caught the first touchdown pass, which cut an early 14-point Montini lead to eight points in the second quarter.
Bouagnon busted up the middle 22 yards for a TD late in the third quarter to begin the Aurora Christian comeback. He finished with 68 yards rushing on 15 carries.
“I’ll take Joel any day,” Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe said. “He’s a great football player, a great kid. I feel bad for him right now, but I’ll take Joel Bouagnon and Brandon Mayes as much as any football player I’ve ever coached because those kids are winners.”
Dimitri Taylor ran for 156 yards on 13 carries for the Broncos.
MONTINI 31, AURORA CHRISTIAN 27
Aurora Christian 0 6 6 15 – 27
Montini 14 0 10 7 – 31
HOW THEY SCORED
First quarter
M – Gorogianis 1 run (Harte kick), 7:00
M – Dusek 9 pass from Gorogianis (Harte kick), 2:51
Second quarter
AC – Windle 13 pass from McQuade (kick failed), 10:38
Third quarter
M – Gorogianis 29 run (Harte kick), 9:14
M – Harte 43 FG, 6:11
AC – Bouagnon 22 run (run failed), 1:19
Fourth quarter
AC – McQuade 1 run (Bouagnon run), 9:32
AC – Mayes 12 pass from McQuade (Hills kick), 3:48
M – Borsellino 19 pass from Gorogianis (Harte kick), 1:15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Aurora Christian: Mayes 11-64, McQuade 9-minus 4, Bouagnon 15-68. Totals: 35-128. Montini: Taylor 13-156, Gorogianis 16-49, Borsellino 4-11. Totals: 33-216.
PASSING – Aurora Christian: McQuade 26-44-1-317. Montini: Gorogianis 9-15-2-78, Barron 1-1-0-14.
RECEIVING – Aurora Christian: Suttle 5-66, Bouagnon 4-35, Mayes 9-107, Windle 6-102, Walgren 1-7. Montini: Borsellino 5-40, Tumpane 1-9, Dusek 2-27, Gorogianis 1-14, Taylor 1-2.
TOTAL YARDS – Aurora Christian 445, Montini 308.
