Dameron, Villa Park Stop Savanna

Villa Park showed it could move the ball in the first half but managed only one touchdown.

But the Spartans used that confidence to score three second-half touchdowns and beat Savanna, 25-22, in a nonleague game Friday at Western High.

Villa Park (3-2) went on three long drives, all of at least nine plays and five minutes, to push ahead in the second half.

The winning score came on a 36-yard run around the right end by Spartan running back Dache Dameron with 2 minutes 58 seconds left.

The drive nearly ended on its first play when Villa Park running back Nick Busciglio fumbled on a run up the middle but won a wrestling match for the ball and the Spartans retained possession.

The touchdown was the third of the game for Dameron, who finished with 156 yards and three touchdowns in 25 carries. He also scored on runs of five and two yards.

The senior has 747 yards at the halfway point of the regular season.

Savanna had one more chance after Villa Park took the lead, but the Rebels were hardly in position for a rapid comeback. Savanna had attempted 11 passes in the first four games and had yet to throw one in the game before its final series.

Quarterback Robin Dano went one of three for five yards, but Savanna (4-1) turned it over on downs and Villa Park ran out the clock.

Savanna had no need to throw early, thanks mostly to the running of senior tailback Jason Brown, who had 105 yards in the first half. He finished with 141 yards in 23 carries and had a touchdown.

Josh Cunningham added two touchdowns and 23 yards in 13 carries for the Rebels.

“We hung in there,” Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney said, “We had a little more depth than them and that helped us in the end.”