Sznajder brothers lead Benet to victory

Benet shut down Notre Dame 23-0 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference football opener on a cold and rainy Friday night in Niles.

The Redwings' Brad Sznajder ran for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries.

The shutout was the first of the year for the Redwings (3-0, 1-0), who have given up only 26 points in its first two games of the year.

"Our defense is the strength of our team," said Redwings coach Pat New.

Sophomore quarterback Jack Sznajder, who stepped into the starting role after last year's starter Jack Beneventi transferred to Fenwick, has done an admirable job leading the offense while lining up next to his brother Brad, a senior running back.

"(Jack Sznajder) did well," New said. "We got to support him a little better. He gets better and better each week."

Brad Sznajder ran all over the Dons' defense with several long runs. New watched him run all summer and just cheered him on.

"It's just fun to watch him," New said. "He came up to me and told me the offensive player of the week should be the offensive line."

The Redwings jumped out to a 13-0 lead at the half on a 2-yard run by Brad Sznajder and two field goals by Matt Tromp.

"Our offensive line has just done a really great job this year, dominating the line of scrimmage," Brad Sznajder said. "They give me a seam to squeeze through and that's all I have to do, so I give all the credit to them."

The Sznajder brothers are enjoying playing together.

"There's nothing cooler than this," Brad Sznajder said. "These first three weeks have been so special, it's just been great sharing it with him."

The Dons (1-2, 0-1) couldn't get their offense started, leaving the defense on the field too long.

"When you're on the field you got to keep trying to prove your point," said Dons coach Mike Hennessey. "We gave up one too many long runs. Offensively, we're not on all cylinders up in front. We weren't able to establish our running game."

Tromp added another field goal in the third quarter, and Brad Sznajder finished off the scoring with a 53-yard run to put the game in the win column.

"I just love the way (this team) plays together," New said. "They are a scrappy team, and they're gritty. They do a great job of that. And that's what I'm so pleased with."