Athlete of the Week: Sandburg's Zilinskas Scores With a Pick Six

In Friday night's football matchup between district rivals Sandburg and Andrew, it soon was clear. One small mistake on either side would loom large.

And, sure enough, that's what happened.

In the second quarter, Andrew quarterback Tyler Hook made his only mistake of the evening, throwing a ball into tight coverage. Sandburg's Matt Zilinskas intercepted the Hook pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown.

Zilinskas had himself placed perfectly in pass coverage and , avoided all of the white and black jerseys. His interception and subsequent TD return not only was a great way to start his senior campaign but also earned him the distinction of Patch Athlete of the Week honors in Orland Park.

At the time of Zilinskas' big play, Sandburg went ahead 10-0. The Eagles eventually by a score of 17-10.

"Those big plays definitely make games," Sandburg coch Dave Wierzal said. "If that doesn't happen, it might have been a completely different outcome."