Area football roundup: Unbeaten Riverside-Brookfield eyes league title

Braeden Novak and Xavier Mrozik-DeJesus just keep getting the job done for Riverside-Brookfield in the passing game.

In R-B’s 31-14 home victory over West Chicago on Oct. 17, Novak and Mrozik-DeJesus combined for TD passes covering 83 and 22 yards.

“Braeden played phenomenally,” Bulldogs coach Sam Styler said. “He put the ball where we needed to do in some big spots. He’s had a great year all year. And obviously (Friday) night, the offense didn’t have a ton of opportunities to get out there because our defense was out there for a long time.

“I believe our offense only had about 32 plays, but they scored on five series. Braeden is the one who was leading that and I was very proud of the offense and the way it performed. … They capitalized on every opportunity that they had.”

The two TD passes from Novak to Mrozik-DeJesus came in the fourth quarter and enabled the Bulldogs (8-0, 5-0 Upstate Eight East) to break a 14-all tie and establish a 28-14 lead with 9:57 remaining.

“Xavier is one of the most talented receivers, I would say, in the state,” Styler said. “He’s just a phenomenal athlete all the way around. He’s a guy who’s going to threaten you down the field, but he can also make a lot of guys miss and he’s extremely shifty.

“But it’s what he does without the ball that makes him so threatening. You never know if he’s coming out to block you or if he’s running something short or something deep. Every route that he comes off with looks the same, but he’s a big playmaker and he comes up with big plays when we need it.”

Also scoring for R-B was Jacob Retana, who had a pair of short TD runs.

“Jacob’s a very hard runner and he follows his blockers extremely well,” Styler said. “He finds creases. The way he works and how hard he runs and how loose he is with the ball.”

John Bielobradek kicked a 27-yard field goal for the Bulldogs, who will travel to Lombard to meet Glenbard East (7-1, 5-0) for the conference championship on Oct. 24.

“The kids know what’s at stake and it’s something we’ve talked about throughout the year,” Styler said. “That if you continue to play your game, because you’re a special team and a special group, we know that Friday night is a big night.   

“I don’t believe that R-B has won a conference championship in football since 2009. …Don’t let it get too big, but we are looking forward to the opportunity to play for the conference championship.”

Andrew 47, DeKalb 28: Camden Maniatis ran 19 times for 102 yards and three TDs as Andrew (5-3, 3-2 Southwest Valley Red) became playoff-eligible. Maniatis (3-of-5 passing, 98 yards) also threw a 25-yard TD pass to Zaire Foster. Anthony Lipski (eight carries, 113 yards) and Jalon Lawrence (12 carries, 58 yards) added rushing TDs for the Thunderbolts.

Chicago Christian 20, Christ the King 12: Tyce Hamstra’s fourth-quarter TD pass to Harry Yonker highlighted the win for Chicago Christian (3-5, 2-4 Chicagoland Christian).

Evergreen Park 38, Argo 12: Cory Isaac carried 16 times for 59 yards and two TDs to power Evergreen Park (4-4, 1-4 South Suburban Red). Omarrion Evans (two receptions, 43 yards) caught a TD pass from Brady Bruen (7-of-14 passing, 150 yards) while Gavin Wheeler added a rushing TD. Wheeler (nine tackles, tackle for loss) and Alberto Aranda (eight tackles, sack, forced fumble) led the Mustangs’ defense.

Skylar Arellano-Phipps scored on runs of 16 and 11 yards for Argo (0-8, 0-6).

Lyons 24, Downers Grove North 20: EJ Kuhlman’s 1-yard TD run with 15 seconds to play lifted Lyons (6-2, 3-2 West Suburban Silver) to victory. Kuhlman, who finished with 110 yards on 31 carries, scored on a 1-yard run earlier in the game. Jack Slightom (16-of-21 passing, 155 yards) connected with Sam Froelich on a 4-yard TD pass while Ryland Avants kicked a 36-yard field goal.

Marist 51, Marmion 6: Conor Hunt (nine carries. 95 yards) scored on a 40-yard run and a 67-yard free kick return for Marist (3-5). Luke Detampel (5-of-7 passing, 162 yards) threw TD passes of 63 and 32 yards to Stephen Brown and one of 11 yards to Marty Donahue. Sean Meade and Eddie Dougherty both scored on 3-yard runs for the RedHawks.

Nazareth 42, Benet 14: Justin Watson (1 and 14 yards) and Charles Calhoun (19 and 3 yards) scored twice on the ground apiece for Nazareth (7-1). Watson finished with 65 yards on nine carries, while Calhoun totaled 99 yards on 11 attempts. Dylan Wellner added a 1-yard TD run while Jackson Failla (13-of-18 passing, 179 yards) connected with Jake Cestone on a 49-yard TD strike.

Sandburg 24, Neuqua Valley 21: Sandburg (6-2, 4-2 Southwest Valley Blue) prevailed as Jeffery Bellik had a pair of touchdown runs. Luke Basiorka scored on a 65-yard run, while Drew Drzonek booted a 21-yard field goal.

Shepard 20, Reavis 19: Joey Massey (33-yard interception return), Antonio McCarroll (25-yard TD reception) and Billy Massey (10-yard TD run) guided Shepard (3-5, 3-2 South Suburban Red) to victory over Reavis (5-3, 2-3).

St. Rita 49, St. Patrick 14: Brandon Johnson Jr. scored on runs of 21, 12, 55 and 4 yards as St. Rita (4-4) won a CCL/ESCC crossover. Johnson Jr. also threw a 29-yard TD pass to Walter Jones. Langston Smith (16-yard run) and Donovan Evans (16-yard pass from John Fennell) also had TDs for the Mustangs.