Wrap-up: CLS dominate; St. Ed loss streak at 24
Crystal Lake South dominated in all facets of its 46-0 road victory over Grayslake North Friday night.
The Gators (4-0), ranked No. 3 in Class 7A, scored four first-half touchdowns and three more after halftime. And as usual, they gained yardage however they wanted to with 178 total passing yards to combine with 169 on the ground.
Crystal Lake South coach Jim Stuglis was pleased with his team's intensity given the youthfulness of Grayslake North.
"I think we played the style of football we wanted to play," Stuglis said. "We ran the ball well, we threw the ball well and that's what we do."
Quarterback Ian Orsmeth was brilliant for Crystal Lake South. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior completed his first 6 passes and 11-of-14 overall for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns. His leading target, senior Ryan Kelley, hauled in 3 passes for 63 yards.
The passing game was in high gear on the game's first drive as Orsmeth and Kelley hooked up on a 38-yard pass play that set up a 34-yard sideline catch and run for a touchdown by running back Thomas Galloway.
Afterward, Orsmeth was eager to distribute the credit evenly among his teammates.
"It was nice with the line blocking like they did to give us time to throw," Orsmeth said. "They make it easy for me and with the receivers getting open like that all I have to do is throw the ball. I have the easiest job out there."
The Gator defense was equally dominant. The Knights (0-4) were held to just 82 total yards for the game. Though Grayslake North signal-caller Nick Harrington completed 5 of his 6 passes and wasn't intercepted, he only managed 63 yards through the air and was sacked three times. The Knights rushed for only 19 yards on the game and totaled only 6 first downs.
"I think we're doing OK right now," Stuglis said. "Going into the conference we're in about as good shape as we can be."
Immaculate Conception 21, St. Edward 20: The decision was easy. The result was a historic loss.
St. Edward's 2-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter Friday night was stuffed as Immaculate Conception handed the Green Wave their school-record 24th consecutive loss with a 21-20 victory in Elgin.
"We felt like we could win the game," St. Edward senior Matt Ardiente said. "It was a decision as a team. We just went for it. We believed we could get it but came up short."
The Green Wave (0-4, 0-2 Suburban Catholic) scored with 1:40 remaining in the fourth quarter on Ardiente's 35-yard run around right end. St. Edward called timeout and coach Mike Rolando said the decision was unanimous -- go for the victory.
Senior fullback Moises Quiroga took a toss right but was stood up by several Immaculate Conception defenders at the 2-yard line.
"The team, even after the game, said we had to try it. The coaches said we had to try it," Rolando said. "We wanted to go for the win."
"We knew they were going to go for it," Knights coach Bill Schmidt said. "Someone has to make a play or you're going to go home with a 'L.' We made one more play than they did."
The Knights (2-2, 1-1) recovered the onside kick and kneeled three times to leave with the victory despite only earning 6 first downs.
St. Edward has not won since Week 7 of the 2004 season, a 45-14 victory over Aurora Central Catholic.
The Green Wave defense kept them in Friday's game in the first half when neither team got anything going offensively. Each team had less than 80 yards of offense in the opening half. The only score came on a 10-yard run from IC quarterback Will Cronin with 39.3 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Jonathon Ellis, who finished with 102 yards rushing, gave the Knights a 14-0 lead three plays into the second half with a 59-yard touchdown run.
St. Edward responded with a 12-play, 80-yard drive, which was capped by a 13-yard run by Ardiente.
After an IC punt, the Green Wave tied the game on Ryan Gilbert's 2-yard score.
Paul Hornstra's 56-yard touchdown run on the next play from scrimmage gave the Knights the lead again, 21-14, with 10:29 left in fourth quarter.
The Green Wave got the ball on their 26-yard line with 3:50 remaining. On the seventh play of the drive, Ardiente broke free for his second touchdown of the game before the failed conversion attempt. Ardiente gained 92 yards, 85 in the second half.
"We opened it up a little bit," Rolando said about his team's offense that scored on 3 of its 4 second-half possessions. "(IC) was taking the inside stuff away. We had to figure out how to get the ball outside."
-- Brian Schaumburg
South Elgin 49, Elgin 7: South Elgin is getting used to this winning stuff.
After dropping its first 11 games as a program, South Elgin made it two wins in a row by making short work of shorthanded Elgin 49-7 in an Upstate Eight Conference game at Millennium Field in Streamwood Friday night.
South Elgin quarterback Pete Scaffidi ran for 3 touchdowns and threw for two more in the first half alone to put South Elgin ahead 35-0.
The senior added a third scoring pass in the third quarter before heading to the bench with a running clock and a 42-0 lead.
South Elgin (2-2, 2-0) led 49-0 before Elgin's (2-2, 0-1) Robert Hayes scored in the fourth quarter to avert a shutout.
"We came out strong and our line did a great job today," Scaffidi said of linemen Mike Keller, Nate VanMetre, John Hull, Wayne Smith and Anthony Connors.
Elgin's roster consists of 31 players this season, only 27 of which took the field due to four gameday suspensions stemming from missed classes on Friday afternoon. Included among the disciplined were star running back Kenny Williams and starting quarterback Tom Roth, without whom Elgin's offense stagnated.
With senior wide receiver Juan Morales bravely subbing on short notice for Roth at quarterback, a position he had never played at any level of football, Elgin finished the first half with minus 3 yards of total offense.
Other symptoms of Elgin's Friday night virus, all from the first half: 6 penalties, a fumbled shotgun snap, a long snap that sailed over the Elgin punter's head for a 28-yard loss to his own 5, and 2 lost fumbles on exchanges that gave the Storm short fields.
"I think the way the day started affected everything else," Elgin coach Tom Kim said of the suspensions. "Then we had 6 guys show up late today for pregame meetings. And before the game we told everyone to put their equipment in, and some individuals chose not to listen."
Kim's last point was in reference to a 50-yard run by running back Hayes in the first quarter that was called back due to improper equipment on an Elgin player, typifying the day.
Regardless of who Elgin was missing, South Elgin was satisfied with the outcome.
"We weren't just focused on one guy," said Storm running back Josh Kabala, who rushed for 96 yards on 15 carries. "It takes a team to win a game."
Elgin finished with 48 yards of total offense compared to South Elgin's 287.
"Tonight was a real big one," said South Elgin coach Dale Schabert. "After that win last week with a young team, this game was a monster for us. Would we be happy with (last week's win) and sit on it or come out and work and take nothing for granted. I'm real pleased with the way our defense played."
-- Jerry Fitzpatrick
Larkin 46, East Aurora 13: Larkin running back Dillon Smith waited patiently the first three games while Royals quaterback Cam Kinley and company mounted impressive numbers.
Smith's wait ended on Friday at Memorial Field in Elgin, and the 5-foot-9 senior didn't disappoint.
Smith rushed for 217 yards on 18 carries, scoring 4 touchdowns to lead Larkin (2-2, 2-0) to a 46-13 Upstate Eight conference victory over visiting East Aurora (0-4, 0-2).
"Finally," said Smith who was hampered with a pulled quad for the first three games. "We knew we wanted to run the ball, and I felt my best tonight."
Larkin's high-octane offense scored on its first 7 possessions, cruising to a 46-0 halftime advantage.
A holding penalty and a sack had the Royals headed in the wrong direction its first two offensive plays of the game, but Kinley found Ryan Shriver (4 catches, 87 yards) for a 23-yard gain on the third play and 3 plays later they hooked up for a 21-yard score. Larkin never looked back.
The Royals gained 322 total yards in the first half while holding the Tomcats to 13 total yards.
East Aurora didn't help itself, committing 4 turnovers in the opening half against an opportunistic defense.
Kinley, who had thrown 14 touchdowns in the first three games, added his second of the night on Larkin's second possession, once again finding Shriver for an 18-yard score on fourth-and-18.
Smith then added touchdowns runs of 18, 2, 23 and 50 yards. David Schue added to the Royals attack with a 6-yard score.
"All the yards came from the offensive line," said Smith. "They set the blocks and there were big holes."
Eric Pena, Noah Cornelius, Andy Haggard, Eddie Slad, and Tyler Schubert cleared the way for a Royals rushing attacked that gained 235 yards in the first half.
"It always comes down to the kids," added Larkin head coach Dave Bierman of his team's offensive attack. "They executed what their assignments are, they have a feel for the game. It was nice to see (Smith's) performance. Like all of them he works hard."
MiQwon Holmes recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half and returned it 28 yards for the score for East Aurora.
Leon Harden contributed 76 hard-earned yards on 15 carries, scoring on a 2-yard run with 34 seconds remaining in the game for East Aurora.
-- Michael Eaken
Boys soccer
Westminster Christian and Schaumburg Christian tie: Westminster Christian (3-4-3) got it's third tie of the season in a game that ended at 1-1 against Schaumburg Christian. Jeff Marshall had the Warriors lone goal unassisted. Ethan Flickinger was in goal for Westminster Christian and collected 10 saves.
Men's soccer
Ohio Dominican 1, Judson 0: Ohio Dominican (5-0) scored within the first two minutes of the game to defeat Judson (4-2-1) during action at the Judson Tournament.
Neil Thompson was in goal for the Eagles and recorded 3 saves.