Lemont beats Hillcrest in a high-scoring thriller to win the South Suburban Blue title

According to Lemont senior Cole Johnson, there is a joke around the team that the kicker tackles him on most of his kickoff returns.

Not on Thursday.

“I got one of them this year,” Johnson said. “I made a move on him and from there, it was pure happiness.”

Johnson’s 65-yard kick-return touchdown was one of several big plays on both sides in Lemont’s 43-42 victory against Hillcrest in Country Club Hills.

“I kind of blacked out when I was running down that sideline [on the kick return],” Johnson said. “I saw the hole. It popped out just enough for me to squeeze through. Then it was just the kicker to beat.”

That was just the second touchdown in a game that featured 12. The game-winner was a one-yard run by Aiden Rudman with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter.

Lemont’s defense held off Hillcrest’s high-powered offense on the final drive.

Johnson had six catches for 86 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game at 14.

‘‘That was electric,” Johnson said. “[Hillcrest] is a good team but we came to play. When it really mattered most our offense came out. We started the season shaky and lost some tough games.”

Hillcrest (5-4, 4-2 South Suburban Blue) led 30-14 after Gary Bradley’s 42-yard touchdown pass to Erimus Wright with 9:51 left in the third quarter.

Lemont’s Zac Piskule scored on a three-yard run at the end of the third quarter and opened the fourth quarter with an 18-yard touchdown run to make it 30-28. Piskule had nine carries for 61 yards.

Hillcrest had two more big plays to keep the pressure on. Bradley connected with Cameron Williams on a 52-yard touchdown pass with 9:48 left and then Wright ripped off a 67-yard touchdown run with 7:40 to play. But the Hawks failed on both two-point conversions.

Wright had 16 carries for 111 yards.

Lemont (6-3, 6-0) countered with an 18-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Mike Preuss to Donovan Moleski and then the final touchdown run by Rudman.

It was Moleski’s first touchdown.

“It hit in my facemask and I had to get it out,” Moleski said of the touchdown pass. “The first TD of my life, that was great. There are so many other guys in our offense to focus on. It freed me up. It’s nice to help out the defense because they’ve been carrying us all year.”

Preuss was 17-for-28 for 200 yards with two touchdowns. Moleski had four catches for 43 yards.

The win seals the conference title for Lemont.

“This was all or nothing,” Piskule said. “It sets us up for a good seed in the playoffs. That was nerve-racking. But you have to lock in and do what you do for the team.”

Johnson’s big moments against Hillcrest weren’t just on the field.

“When we were losing in the first half, [Johnson] had us over there telling us we had to give it everything we’ve got,” Piskule said. “He’s a real morale booster for the offense. It’s great to have him on the team.”