Chicago-Area High School Football News and Scores | Season Pass

Trailing by 10 points late in the third quarter, its season on the line, the Lake Forest football team needed a game-changing play.

The Scouts got one from their defense.

A crushing hit by senior Chris Wilson jarred the ball loose from Rolling Meadows running back senior Steven Royster, junior safety Regis Durbin scooped it up and raced 52 yards for a touchdown, and the Scouts turned a 24-14 deficit into a stunning 42-24 win in the first round of the 6A playoffs Friday night.

“It was a big momentum swing,” Durbin said of the fumble recovery. “The ball was on the ground. I just picked it up and ran.”

Lake Forest will play Lakes — which beat St. Viator 35-21 Friday — in the second round.

Lake Forest had no answer for the Rolling Meadows duo of senior quarterback Jack Milas in the first half Friday. Milas (34-of-69, 431 yards) struck three times for touchdowns, and when he hit Matt Campbell (13 catches, 238 yards) for a 66-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter, it was 21-7 Mustangs.

But the Scouts forced three second-half turnovers. Their blitzing defense slowed down Miles, forcing two interceptions and leading to 28 unanswered points.

When senior quarterback Andrew Clifford (27-of-42, 288 yards, three touchdowns) found junior tight end Andrew Freeman for a 9-yard touchdown with 11:22 remaining, the Scouts had their first lead of the game at 28-24.

Durbin sealed the game for Lake Forest with 2:51 left when he picked off Milas and returned it 21 yards for his second defensive touchdown of the night. That made it 42-24 Scouts.

“You coach a lot of teams and different teams that have different personalities,” Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli said. “This is obviously not one to lay down or stay down.”