The first moments of the Homewood-Flossmoor High School varsity football home opener versus Marian Catholic High School on Saturday, Sept. 2, accurately foreshadowed the last.
The game started wild and ended wild.
Both teams scored in the first half-minute of the first quarter.
Marian’s Austin Alexander ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, giving the Spartans a quick 7-0 lead.
The Vikings responded with a score on their first play from scrimmage, a 57-yard touchdown pass from Randall McDonald to Myles Ellis.
The game was a back-and-forth contest from then on, with Marian leading 28-20 at the half and 35-32 at the end of the third quarter.
The Vikings were down by nine points late in the fourth quarter when they mounted a 70-yard drive for a touchdown and two-point converstion to pull within one point.
H-F then recovered an onside kick and marched 48 yards in four plays to score the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion with 30 seconds left.
Salute to Service halftime tribute
Active duty service members and veterans were invited to join the Salute to Service tribute at halftime, and 15 answered the call.
They marched onto the field at the end of a medley of patriotic music performed by the H-F Marching Band. The group included Marine veterans John Beele, Gina LoGalbo, Barry Latham and Don Tollefsen; Army veterans Gwendolyn Belcher, Martell Clay, George Coleman, Josh Grenard, Arthurine Jones, Kerry Kauffman, Joe Nordman and Larry Stanford Jr.; and Navy veterans Latresha Hazelwood, Rich McGathey and David Shambo. Belcher’s husband, Jerome Belcher, was unable to attend.
The veterans stepped forward as the band played the theme song for each branch.
The salute also included a solo performance of “America the Beautiful” by Jazmin Rhodes at the end of the third quarter.
Proceeds from merchandise sold during the game benefited the Flossmoor Veterans Memorial project.
Tribute to track team
The H-F boys track team also was honored during the game for winning state at the end of May, and coach Nate Beebe presided over the coin toss to start the game.
