Eliot Sneaks by Kirkland in Overtime

Eliot House rode a Rich Iorio touch-down gallop to a 20-14 double-overtime victory over Kirkland yesterday to gain third place in final House Football league standings.

In the most evenly matched House contest of the season, Kirkland took an early lead on its first possession. Taking the ball on their own 41, the K-men marched 59 yards in seven plays to a 6-0 lead. A Mike Rayn-to-John Zavez aerial covered the final 30 yards for the touch-down.

Early in the second quarter Eliot came back with a drive of its own. The big gainers were a Mike Eliot reverse that went for eight yards and a burst off right tackle by fullback Mark Adley that gained another 20. Randy Yanker then followed a swarm of blockers around left end for 26 yards and the tally.

Kansas City

With the score still tied 6-6 at the end of regulation, the game went into a "Kansas City Tiebreaker," where each team gets the ball at the ten and has four plays to score. The team gaining the most points on its series gets the win.

Kirkland got the ball first and sent halfback Brad Lown up the middle to the Eliot six. Fullback Tim Phills followed with a two-yard gain, and then Lown burst over right tackle for the score. In an effort to put things out of reach, the K-men tried for a two-point conversion and made it when quarterback Lenny Busch hit Paul Smith in the endzone.

Down now by eight points, Eliot was awarded its chance from the ten and proceeded to knot the score again with quarterback Dave Haley sneaking over for the touchdown and Yanker adding the conversion to make it 14-14.

Second Overtime

Kirkland was given the ball again to start the second overtime, but this time the Eliot defense held as a Busch pass full incomplete on fourth down. Tempers began to flare at this point, and both teams stormed onto the field. When the coaches finally got things calmed down, Eliot was given its chance to clinch the win.

And clinch it they did just as the sun began to set over the goal posts. Adley got them to the eight on a two-yard burst, Haley scrambled for four more on second down, and then Iorio pounded up the middle for the margin of victory.