High School: Week 1 recaps
Recap: Lake Zurich 20, Fremd 10
Sulaiman RoyLake Zurich and Zach Till uesd a late rally to get past Fremd. Lake Zurich then needed just 8 plays over 85 seconds to take the lead, as Till found pay-dirt on a 4-yard option keeper with a minute showing on the clock. The Bears missed the extra point, but any hope of a Fremd tie or win was squashed when linebacker Tim Sayre picked off Concialdi and ran the interception back 24-yards for the final touchdown. As the Dark Side cleared the visiting bleachers, the Strictly Business-clad students of Lake Zurich celebrated their series-tying win over the Vikings, and a successful start to the 2010 campaign. Next week both teams are on the road as Fremd travels to Prospect and Lake Zurich plays at Cary-Grove.
Player of the game: Lake Zurich Sr. Quarterback Zach Till, whose 4-yard touchdown run with 1:00 to go put the Bears on top.
Stat of the game:Till only carried the ball four times for 23 yards; Lake Zurich running back Jacob Brinlee totaled 135-yards on the ground. For Fremd, Concialdi completed 19 of 30 passes for 263-yards and an interception. Justin Wallace ran for 116-yards and a touchdown.
It was over when:Tim Sayre picked off a Concialdi pass for a 24-yard pick-six with 43-seconds left on the clock.
Quote of the night: "Our kids, as frustrating as it was, just never gave up, so they kept fighting and kept fighting, and all it was, was one or two big plays to get us the confidence I think that we needed to get things rolling and have momentum swing our way." - Lake Zurich Head Coach Bryan Stortz.
Recap: Minooka 42, Glenbrook South 14
MINOOKA, IL--The Minooka Indians and their wingback offense made a statement Friday night, scoring on four of their first five drives en route to a 42-14 senior night victory over rival Glenbrook. Quarterback Mitchell Brozovich got things going with a 39-yard TD pass to fellow senior Daniel Fox to put the Indians up early.
John VenerableMinooka had a major advantage up front on offense, and it showed -- the Indians rushed for more than 400 yards. The win for the Indians comes one year removed from a 38-14 loss at the hands of the Titans.
Player of the game: Kalvin Hill, RB, Minooka - The junior only managed 9 carries on the evening but turned those into an impressive 140 yards rushing as well as two touchdowns.
Stat of the game: Minooka's offense rushed for 422 yards through only three quarters of play Friday night.
It was over when: The Titan offense failed to convert a fourth-and-1 from their own 49 while down 21 points.
Quote of the night: “Being a defensive coordinator and looking at what we’re doing offensively ... I wouldn’t want to defend us.”- Minooka head coach Bert Kooi
QB Tucker helps JC get revenge on Montini
JOLIET, Ill. – Joliet Catholic’s Breion Tucker turned to the student section as the final seconds expired in Friday’s 21-7 win over Montini and yelled for everyone to rush the field at Joliet Memorial Stadium.
Tucker’s classmates obliged. With Joliet Catholic’s cheerleaders leading the way, nearly a hundred fans charged onto the field and jumped around with the players as if Joliet Catholic had just won the state championship.
The schedule may have read Aug. 27 and been the opening night of the 2010 season, but this game had much more meaning to it. The Hilltoppers had been eying this date ever since they fell to Montini in the final seconds of the Class 5A state championship in last November.
“I don’t think this makes up for the state championship, but they were still the defending state champs,” Joliet Catholic quarterback Breshion Tucker, Breion's brother, said. “We wanted to come out and play hard. We did and beat them.”
Scott Powers/ESPN.comBreion Tucker and the Hilltoppers avenged a loss to Montini in last year's 5A title game. “In the state championship, we didn’t complete a pass,” Joliet Catholic coach Dan Sharp said. “Breshion threw two touchdowns tonight. He’s a good fit for us. He ran the offense well. His composure was phenomenal.”
Joliet Catholic’s offense struck on its first three possessions of the game.
Breshion Tucker put the Hilltoppers on the board first. After seven consecutive Joliet Catholic runs on the opening possession, he found Alex Kolodziez wide open for 17-yard score. On the team’s next possession, Josh Ferguson, an Illinois recruit, rushed in from 15 yards out to go ahead 14-7. Finally, Breshion Tucker hooked up with Malin Jones for a 23-yard touchdown pass.
From there, the game was a stalemate. Joliet Catholic took a 21-7 lead into halftime, and that’s how the game ended.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Sharp said. “It was the offense in the first half and the defense in the second half.”
Injuries also played a factor in the second half. Montini starting quarterback Matt Westerkamp injured his throwing shoulder in the third quarter and never returned. For Joliet Catholic, Ferguson and Jones both sat out the second half with minor injuries.
Ty Isaac picked up the slack for Joliet Catholic’s running game in the second half without Ferguson and Jones. He finished with 157 yards on 19 carries. Ferguson had 78 yards on nine carries.
Montini wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp was the bright spot for the Broncos. He had six catches for 95 yards and his team’s lone touchdown.
As a whole, Montini coach Chris Andriano saw the game as a stepping stone.
“Now we know what we have to work on,” Andriano said. “They exposed some things that we got to work on. Basically, I thought their offensive and defensive lines outplayed us.”
Recap: Bolingbrook 28, Downers South 21
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- With only three returning starters from last season’s team, few outside the Bolingbrook lockerroom gave the Raiders much of a chance in Friday night’s season opener. They faced a veteran Downers Grove South team, on the road, and had an unproven sophomore signal-caller making his first varsity start.
Quarterback Aaron Bailey believed in his team and the Raiders (1-0) delivered a 28-21 upset at No. 14 Downers Grove South.
“A lot of people doubted us and we wanted to come out here and show that we won’t be pushed around and that we can win week in and week out,” said Bailey.
Bailey, who played on varsity last season as a wide receiver, was a difference-maker all night, finishing with 244 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. The one-man highlight reel opened the second half with an 81-yard touchdown run and bookended the quarter with a 42-yard scramble that led to the winning score.
The Mustangs offense was lethargic all evening, and graduated quarterback Chandler Whitmer, now at the University of Illinois, was sorely missed. Junior A.J. Simoncelli replaced Whitmer but completed just four passes for 32 yards. Running back Josh Williams ran for over 100 yards with a touchdown and receiver Ryan Oruche scored two touchdowns, including a 90-yard kickoff return.
Perhaps the scary part for the rest of Class 8A is that Bailey showed lots of room for improvement. Still, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore is ready for more.
“Come Monday, we’re back to business and Week 2,” Bailey said after the game.
Player of the game: Bolingbrook quarterback Aaron Bailey - 174 rushing yards, TD; 60 pass yards, TD
Stat of the game: 1 - The Raiders commited one turnover, an interception on a tipped ball, and their defense forced three.
It was over when: Senior defensive back Diandre Rhodes intercepted Simoncelli late in the fourth quarter.
Quote of the night: “We got a shoot-out!” - Aaron Bailey when asked what was going through his mind after Downers South responded to his 81-yard touchdown run with a 90-yard kickoff return






ESPNCHICAGO PREPS ON TWITTER