The star
Palatine quarterback Ethan Olles threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more scores. Olles finished the game 22-for-34 for 306 yards, and helped the Pirates (9-1) take a 49-14 lead with 6:49 remaining in the third quarter.
The moment
Palatine and Niles West (5-5) were tied at the end of the first quarter before the Pirates reeled off four touchdowns over the first 6:02 of the second quarter. The biggest score came on third-and-25 when Olles hooked up with senior Cam Kuksa for a 60-yard touchdown pass.
The quote
“We weren’t executing as well as we needed to be in the first [quarter]. There were a lot of different things going wrong on offense, but once we got it together we started putting up points quickly,” — Olles
The breakdown
Palatine has now scored more than 36 points in nine of its 10 games this season. The Pirates advance to the second round to play Schaumburg, whom they defeated 51-18 on Oct. 19. The Wolves opened the season 5-0 before dropping their final five contests. They were playing in their first playoff game since 2004.
