Two games. Two wins. Zero points allowed.
Life is good for Argo and head coach Phillip Rossberg.
“A 2-0 start is nice,” Rossberg said. “We’ll take that.”
On Sept. 6 in Summit, the Argonauts welcomed Bloom in a non-conference matchup. Anchored by the efforts of running back Steven Holmes and a strong defensive showing, Argo topped the Blazing Trojans, 21-0.
The shutout is the Argonauts’ second straight to start the season. The last season they recorded consecutive shutouts or as many as two shutouts was 2007, when they opened the campaign by blanking Kelly and St. Joseph. Argo had three shutouts that season, then did not record another until 2023.
Against Bloom, the Argonauts defense recorded four sacks and recovered two fumbles. Safety Jayvion King had an interception.
“We got after their quarterback,” Rossberg said. “We squeezed heavily when they threw the ball.
“I thought we looked stout on defense. You can’t run up the middle on us.”
Argo senior middle linebacker Maciej Jarosz finished with 12 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
“Maciej is a physical leader for us,” Rossberg said. “Nobody wants to hit him at practice. He’s a physical force. He’s tough as nails and a typical blue-collar Polish kid from Argo.”
Jakub Jarosz, Maciej’s twin brother, had nine tackles and defensive end Mauro Velasquez added five tackles and a sack.
Offensively, Holmes carried the ball 23 times for 105 yards and scored on runs of 2 and 31 yards. Quarterback Javoris Cotton had 12 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown.
“The kids understand that we’re a good team and we have some expectations,” Rossberg said. “We are ready to work at it, to be sure.
“The goal is to play confidently, have fun and be one of the better teams to come out of Argo ever. We can write our own story and have a little piece of history in the school.”
Argo begins South Suburban Red play in Week 3 as arch-rival Reavis (2-0) visits on Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 13.