Schools
Tinley Park Football Puts End to Drought Against Oak Forest
Big plays on offense and crisp tackling on defense led the Titans to a 42-28 victory over Oak Forest on Friday night in a South Suburban Blue battle between district rivals.
The streak is over.
After tasting defeat at the hands of district rival Oak Forest over a 17-year period, the Tinley Park football team emerged victorious Friday night in a game pairing two of the top teams in the South Suburban Blue Conference.
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“We were due. We were overdue,” Tinley Park coach Nick Johnston said. “Now maybe we can start calling this a rivalry a little bit. I’m very happy for the kids, our program and the community.”
The victory was just a little bit sweeter for the Titans, with the 1986 football state championship team watching from the sidelines. The ’86 team, honored at halftime and given an ovation by the home crowd, was treated to a combined 56-point offensive explosion before the half.
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The Titans (6-1, 3-1) scored three times on plays of more than 60 yards. Preston Thompson scored on back-to-back rushes of 67 and 76 yards. And the special teams unit added a 40-yard punt return for a score by Frank Redding.
The Bengals (5-2, 2-2) stayed competitive utilizing total-package running back Tevin Coleman. The Division I prospect paraded his diverse talents, scoring on a 15-yard rush, a 6-yard pass, and a 72-yard kickoff return.
Tied 28-28 after two quarters, it was the Titans' bend-but-don’t-break defense that keyed the victory in the second half. Johnston talked of the Titans' improved tackling, as the defense limited Coleman to 30 yards on seven touches, after allowing him 113 yards on the ground in the first half.
Titan’s quarterback Kyle Sheridan was ecstatic over the outcome. “This game was definitely one of the biggest wins of my career, by far,” he said.
On the final drive, the senior quarterback threw a 34-yard pass to Tracey Brandy on third-and-10 and ran for two more first downs. Sheridan capped off the drive with a 1-yard push for six points, giving the Titans a 42-28 lead they would not relinquish.
“I called my number on a few plays during the final drive," Sheridan said. "This game meant so much for us. They’re a good team. We knew we had to finish the game, and we knew we had to score as many times as we could.”
Sheridan and the Titans can rest easy. The Oak Forest streak is over.
