Football Wrap | Richards rolling through SSC Red; Sandburg tops H-F in OT

By Mike Walsh
Correspondent

Richards coach Tony Sheehan knew he had to be patient as his Bulldogs experienced a tough start to the season, dropping their first two games by a combined score of 76-14.

With a team largely composed of players getting their first taste of varsity football, Sheehan knew better time were ahead.

The Bulldogs won their fourth straight game last week, topping Shepard 41-27 on Sept. 29 in Oak Lawn.

“It’s growing up,” Sheehan said. “And it’s consistency. We played two tough teams in Weeks 1 and 2. We’re growing up from that, we’ve gotten better and we have the same guys playing so we have more consistency with that.”

During its four-game winning streak, Richards (4-2, 4-0 South Suburban Red) has scored 132 points (33 per game) while allowing 54 (13.5 per game). Since losing at Libertyville 34-14 on Sept. 1, the Bulldogs have defeated Eisenhower (23-20), Oak Lawn (27-7), Evergreen Park (41-0) and Shepard.

“The key to that is our focus,” Sheehan said of the four consecutive wins. “The kids take it day by day, and they know what we need to get better at.

“We’ve been a lot more consistent and we’re playing younger guys, and they’re growing up and getting better. They’re fun to be around.”

Against the Astros (1-5, 0-3), quarterback Dijon Newman scored on a 14-yard run and threw TD passes of 7, 21 and 16 yards.

Safety Austin Synoga keyed the defense and returned a fumble for a touchdown.

“We’re placing an emphasis on running the ball and being tough like the old-school Richards teams,” Sheehan said. “And our defense is flying around the ball. We’re not as big as we’ve been in the past, but we’re tougher and more physical than we’ve been.”

Sandburg 31, Homewood-Flossmoor 28 (OT)
Eagles junior quarterback Anthony Shelton threw for 267 yards and four scores – including two to Charlie Snorek (11 catches, 147 yards). Sean Weisgerber had four catches for 47 yards and a TD. Sophomore running back Luke Basiorka rushed 27 times for 146 yards and caught a 7-yard touchdown pass.

Sandburg (4-2, 2-0 SouthWest Suburban Blue) has won four of its last five with the only loss during that stretch coming in Week 5 to Lincoln-Way Central (5-1). The Eagles host Bolingbrook (3-3, 1-0) this week, then play at Lincoln-Way East (6-0, 1-0) before closing the season at home against Stagg (3-3) as they seek their second postseason berth in three years.

Chicago Christian 30, Elgin St. Edward 2
Christian Fluteman (9-of-15 passing, 115 yards; 5 carries, 22 yards) threw for one touchdown and ran for another as host Chicago Christian (3-3, 1-3) was victorious in the Chicagoland Christian Conference. Also contributing for the Knights were Caden Boersma (2 rushes, 67 yards, TD; 4 catches, 70 yards); Jared Hall (22-yard TD catch); Austin Huizenga (9 tackles, fumble recovery); Brock Sperling (8 tackles) and Max Lenters (4 tackles, sack).

Evergreen Park 48, Oak Lawn 13
The Mustangs (4-2, 2-1) ran for 426 yards in the South Suburban Red victory. Antonio Clay-Jones carried 13 times for 245 yards and three TDs for Evergreen Park, which also received 65 yards rushing and two TDs from David Johnson and a rushing TD from Justin Villagomez. Aidan Bench threw a TD pass to Jed Adjayi.

Caleb Keyser, Yarim Garcia and Lonnie Mosley all had interceptions for the Mustangs.

Oak Lawn quarterback Kyle Bader scored on a 10-yard run.

The Spartans are 1-5, 0-4 in the SSC Red.

St. Laurence 30, Benet Academy 6
St. Laurence improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the CCL/ESCC White with a victory at Benedictine University in Lisle. Aaron Ball rushed 29 times for 241 yards and scored on runs of 2, 80 and 43 yards. Kicker Colin Bagley drilled field goals of 37, 46 and 22 yards for the Vikings.

Defensively, Connor Cleary (8 tackles), Jace Chamberlain and Corey Taubr (7 tackles apiece) and Jack Callaghan (6 tackles) enabled St. Laurence to limit the Red Wings (3-3, 0-2) to 36 yards rushing and two field goals.

Lyons 49, Oak Park-River Forest 0
The Lions (4-2, 3-1 West Suburban Silver) have allowed an average of just nine points per game this season (54 points total). They will host Downers Grove North (5-1, 3-1) and York (6-0, 3-0) before wrapping up the regular season with a West Suburban crossover at Proviso East (1-5).

Eisenhower 32, Argo 21
Steve Holmes (20 carries, 79 yards) scored on a 6-yard run for Argo (4-2, 2-2) in a South Suburban Red game in Summit. Argonauts quarterback Ryan Edwards finished 12-of-19 for 186 yards and two TDs, both to Javoris Cotton (6 catches, 111 yards).

Oak Forest 35, Reavis 21
Reavis (3-3) dropped a South Suburban crossover matchup in Burbank, The Rams will travel to Shepard and Eisenhower to resume South Suburban Red action before closing the regular season by welcoming Richards.

Nazareth 26, Fenwick 16
Jimmy Penley (96-yard TD catch), Alex Angulo (6-yard TD run), Lesroy Tittle (40-yard TD run) and Jake Cestone (20-yard TD catch) tallied for Nazareth (2-4, 1-1 CCL-ESCC Orange) in LaGrange Park. The Roadrunners’ defense finished with nine sacks.

De La Salle 48, Leo 6
De La Salle quarterback Kenyonte Louis ran for 117 yards and scored on runs of 58 and 2 yards, and completed 9-of-13 passes for 228 yards and four TDs. David Coffey (4 catches, 95 yards) had a pair of scoring receptions while Myles Green (2 catches, 50 yards) and Travezz Jones (3 catches, 83 yards) also tallied for the Meteors (3-3, 1-1 CCL-ESCC Red).

Kaleb Navarro recovered two fumbles and returned one 23 yards for a TD. Tristyn Hynes (7 tackles, forced fumble), Quinn Robinson (6 tackles, forced fumble) and Tyler Moss (6 tackles) led the De La Salle defense.

Lincoln-Way West 23, Stagg 0
Stagg (3-3, 0-2) fell in Southwest Suburban Red action in Palos Hills. The Chargers, who have lost three in a row, have been outscored 105-13 in that span while being shut out twice.

Stagg has road dates at Lincoln-Way Central and Sandburg bookending a home game with Bradley to conclude its schedule as it pursues its first state playoff berth since 2005.

Loyola 21, St. Rita 5
Owen Cooney recorded a safety in the first quarter and Ryan Mottl kicked a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to account for the points for host St. Rita (4-2, 0-2) in the CCL/ESCC Blue matchup. Jett Hilding was 10-of-16 passing for 138 yards for the Mustangs, who got four catches each from Samuel Gyimah (54 yards) and Jimmie Maxson III (49 yards).

Riverside-Brookfield 70, Thornton 21
Quarterback Diego Gutierrez rushed for five touchdowns for host Riverside-Brookfield (4-2, 2-2) in a Southland Conference contest. Kicker Niamh Larson booted 10 PATs for the Bulldogs.

Leyden 7, Morton 6
A third-quarter touchdown and subsequent PAT kick was sufficient for visiting Leyden in its West Suburban Gold contest. Morton (1-5, 1-2), which scored in the first quarter, has dropped three in a row.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Saint Xavier 28, St. Francis (Ill.) 21 (OT)
Stuart Ross found Brandt Hixson for a 25-yard TD strike for Saint Xavier (3-2, 1-0) in its Mid-States Football Association opener in Joliet. Ross was 15-of-24 passing for 157 yards and three scores. Amari Venerable added 82 yards and a TD on 19 rushes. Kyle Quinn chipped in four catches for 78 yards and a TD while Justin Pringle finished with five receptions for 34 yards and a score.