SPRINGFIELD LOCAL Zitkovic's runs key 2nd half for Tigers

The loss knocks McDonald out of playoff contention.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
McDONALD -- Mother Nature supplied the rain, wind, snow and mud.
McDonald High senior fullback Jeff Ashton (6 feet, 2 inches, 226 pounds) supplied the Thunder.
And Springfield's fleet-footed tailback, Daniel Zitkovic (6-0, 160), provided the Lightning, burning the Blue Devils' defense for second-half touchdown runs of 72 and 64 yards in the Tigers' 21-7 Inter-County League victory Friday.
"Danny Zitkovic has been doubted all season about his running ability," Springfield coach John Smith said. "But as you saw tonight -- rain, shine, mud, snow -- it doesn't matter. And he ran against a pretty good defense tonight."
Zitkovic finished with 218 yards on 20 carries, including 95 yards in the fourth quarter.
Costly loss: The loss knocked the Blue Devils (5-5, 4-3 ICL) out of playoff contention. McDonald was No. 9 in this week's Division VI Region 21 computer playoff ratings and needed a win to play in Week 11.
"It's a shame it had to end this way, but we knew we couldn't give up the big play, and we gave them up in the second half," McDonald coach Dan Williams said. "Two big runs just killed us. Plain and simple, they just outplayed us in the second half on both sides of the ball.
"They were a big-play team all season," Williams said. "Zitkovic ran like it was a dry field. He's a good back.
"Once he made his cut and got going north and south, he's the fastest kid in the league. We're not going to catch him. And he had good blocking down field."
Springfield finished 6-4 and 6-1 in the ICL to finish second in the league behind unbeaten South Range.
Second half: With the score tied 7-7 at halftime, Zitkovic took charge on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, taking a pitchout from quarterback Pat Birch and bursting through the left side for a 72-yard touchdown sprint.
"Our line had great downfield blocking," Zitkovic said of the play. "The receivers, too."
As it did in the first half, McDonald's offense dominated the rest of the third quarter. But the first two Blue Devils drives stalled at the Tigers' 34.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Tigers sealed the win when Zitkovic broke loose for his 64-yard score.
McDonald momentum: McDonald appeared to have the game in hand early when the Tigers were limited to three offensive plays in the first quarter, the third being a lost fumble.
"We didn't get the chance to do anything in the first half," Smith said. "They held the ball and we gave them the short field [and] they scored on a turnover."
The Blue Devils' first drive ended on the Springfield 14. After the fumble, Ashton, who rushed for 98 yards on 25 carries, put McDonald ahead 7-0 late in the first quarter with a 4-yard run.
The tide began to turn in Springfield's favor late in the first half following a 16-yard McDonald punt to the 47.
Six plays later, Birch threw a screen pass to Ryan Jones for a 10-yard touchdown that tied the score. After going undefeated last year, the Tigers lost their first three games, then won six out of their last seven contests.
"We had a very young team," Zitkovic said. "We had very little experience coming back and a rough start at the beginning."
williams@vindy.com