Dario Milivojevic said he felt like he blew the coverage on a big gain by Belvidere North late in the first half.

But the St. Francis senior safety also tracked down Blue Thunder receiver Nathan Alexander at the 2-yard and punched the ball loose, allowing fellow safety Tanner Glock to recover the ball in the end zone to preserve a two-touchdown lead going into halftime of Saturday’s Class 5A semifinal.

It was the third of five turnovers the Spartans forced in the 35-13 victory over the Blue Thunder, finally breaking through after semifinal losses the previous three years.

“It was a blown coverage on my part,” Milivojevic said. “But it’s been the story of our season. We just never quit. I never gave up on the play, went back and punched the ball out.”

Milivojevic and Glock got it done

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