Top 10 games of 2019: No. 4: Prospect edges DeKalb in high-scoring playoff thriller

As we close out the 2019 season at Friday Night Drive, we're counting down the top 10 games of the year.

Games were nominated by our staff and voted on by our editors. Without further ado, No. 4: Prospect wins a playoff thriller against DeKalb.

The points just wouldn't stop.

DeKalb and Prospect went back and forth to open the Class 7A playoffs, with the Barbs scoring on their first possessions. But Prospect's defense finally held on long enough, giving the Knights a thrilling 55-53 win.

With Prospect (8-2) leading by a point, 48-47, with less than four minutes remaining in the game, Ryan Travioli jumped Trenton Kyler's pass toward the home sideline, setting the Knights up for a 2-yard Luke Zardzin rushing touchdown, one of five touchdowns for Zardzin, one receiving and four rushing, as the Knights went up, 55-47.

Kyler orchestrated a long drive, scrambling to find Trenton McCollum for an 8-yard touchdown reception with seven seconds remaining, but Kyler's scrambling heave on the two-point conversion was knocked down by the Knights.

“A year ago at this time, when we moved to the [DuPage Valley Conference], there wasn’t a whole lot of people who were thinking we would even be here," DeKalb coach Keith Snyder said. "For us to even be in the conversation is really a testament to them. I think what will always be their legacy is DeKalb football didn’t skip a beat. We stepped up instrumentally in competition. We were still relevant. We were competitive. Those seniors will always be able to take that with them. ... They were the class that went into the DVC and competed and won. And that’ll be how they’ll be remembered."

DeKalb (6-4) had gone up, 47-35, but the Knights scored 21 straight points thanks to defensive stops that led to touchdowns from Noah Marx (11-yard reception) and Zardzin (two 2-yard rushes).

“Last year first game against (St.) Viator we were down," Zardzin said. "We came back. This year (St.) Viator we were down. Hoffman we were down, we come back. We’re used to being down at half, and being down early in the third quarter, so we’ve really just got to stick together.”

Zardzin ran for 205 yards rushing on 30 carries.