Sports
Richards Wins Battle of the Bulldogs Friday Night, 31-26
Batavia loses its first regular-season game in three years.
The names were the same, but the scores were inverse.
Oak Lawn Richards Bulldogs beat the Batavia Bulldogs 31-26 Friday night, according to the MaxPreps Qwixcore Game Log.
Richards scored first a touchdown pass and led 6-0 after the first quarter.
But Batavia came back in the second period, scoring first on a 2-yard Anthony Scaccia run with about 10 minutes on the clock to take a 7-6 lead, then a minute later scoring on a 35-yard pass from Micah Coffey to Scaccia for a 13-6 lead.
With about 6 minutes to go in the half, Richards had the ball on its own 40. From there, the Bulldogs marched to the end zone on a drive that took a little more than three minutes, and the game was deadlocked 13-13 as the teams went into the locker room.
The third quarter was all Richards, at least on the scoreboard. The Bulldogs scored a rushing touchdown with about 11 minutes left, then on a pass play with about seven minutes to go, then on a defensive play with about three minutes showing.
Batavia came back in the fourth quarter, but a miracle finish was not to be. Coffey scored on a 1-yard plunge with about 10 minutes left in the game. But an interception and a Richards series ate up much of the clock. Batavia scored again on a 65-yard drive on a pass from Coffey to Michael Moffatt with 17 seconds to go. The onside kick was recovered by Richards, and the game ended at 31-26.
Richards advances to 2-0 on the season. Batavia falls to 1-1.
Next up for Batavia: arch rival Geneva. The Viking fell to Wheaton North 40-27 Friday night at Burgess Field.
