Fremd 49, Elk Grove 12
As well as Fremd played in Friday's 49-12 Mid-Suburban League crossover victory at Elk Grove, the Vikings' football coach Mike Donatucci can see room for improvement.
"They can play better," Donatucci said. With two starting offensive linemen and starting wide receiver Andrew Corso missing Friday's game, the team "still performed at a high level."
And the Vikings put Donatucci on a level with only eight other football coaches who have won 100 career games at an MSL school or schools.
Fremd left no suspense in the outcome. The Vikings (3-0) led by 14 after one quarter and 35-0 by halftime. They recovered 2 fumbles and intercepted a pass, all leading to first-half touchdowns.
Junior Mike Gyetvay, taking over the ball-carrying chores after Derrick Walker left with an ankle injury in the Vikings' first possession, answered with his first varsity 100-yard game, carrying 20 times for 104 yards and 3 touchdowns.
"The O-line played outstanding," Gyetvay said. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have done it."
The full extent of Walker's injury won't be known until after X-rays are taken.
Mark Tolzien and backup quarterback John Kent ran an efficient passing attack. Playing just the first half, Tolzien completed 8-of-9 passes for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Kent was 5-of-6 for 35 yards.
"We had something to prove tonight," said Tolzien, who completed 8 consecutive passes after an opening incompletion. "Our goal was to get the seconds out there."
In the second half, Elk Grove (0-3) cut the margin to 35-6 when quarterback Bryan Bathauer (13 carries, 97 yards) broke through the Fremd line and outraced the secondary for a 60-yard touchdown. It came two plays after Fremd's only turnover of the game -- an interception of Kent by Charles Ostman.
Fremd reserve running backs Danarius Haywood and Desmond Ogoke scored on runs of 3 and 5 yards respectively for its second-half points. The Grens' Kory Laga (11 carries, 86 yards) scored the final points on a 35-yard run with 47 seconds left in the game.
Coming out on the short end against three straight Class 8A playoff contenders to the start the season has been a learning experience for coach Tom Whalen's Grens.
"We talked the last two weeks about finishing four quarters," Whalen said. "We wanted to eliminate the big plays. Fremd did a good job of pounding the ball at us."