Prairie Ridge stays perfect

While Kevin O'Rourke was looking downfield, which is what Grayslake Central's quarterback did often, Prairie Ridge was looking ahead.

The Wolves host Johnsburg on Friday night in a game that will determine the winner of the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division. Both teams are undefeated in the division.

"I think a lot of us were doing that (looking ahead)," Prairie Ridge linebacker Zack Zuidema said.

As it has ever since a 2-point win over Cary-Grove in Week 2, Prairie Ridge won a football game going away Saturday, spoiling Grayslake Central's homecoming with a 42-14 win.

Sam Campbell rushed 13 times for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Wolves, who are ranked sixth in the Associated Press Class 6A poll. Prairie Ridge improved to 8-0 and 4-0 in the FVC Fox, while Grayslake Central fell to 0-8, 0-4.

"We're trying to keep teams off-balance," said coach Nick Goshe, whose Rams passed for 211 yards and rushed for 138.

"But when you go up against these guys, you have to be almost perfect. No mistakes, because they don't make any. So when you make a mistake, (you're down) 14-7. You make another mistake, (you're down) 21-7. That's how efficient they are. They're very well-coached. And they're strong, and they're pretty big. That's why they're 8-0."

Sandwiched between a pair of quarterback-sneak touchdowns in the first quarter by Prairie Ridge's Bryan Bradshaw was a 12-yard TD pass from O'Rourke to Greg Bey on fourth-and-8.

"The quarterback they got in there is throwing the ball pretty good," Wolves coach Chris Schremp said. "You can see on the film they're getting better. We just got to make sure, offensively and defensively, we get our focus for next week. We remind the kids not to take anybody lightly, but maybe we did a little bit of that."

Late in the opening half, as he did on his team's first touchdown, Goshe took a fourth-down gamble. This one didn't work out, however. After the Rams failed to pick up the first down, wingback Campbell scored on the next snap from 45 yards out. Cullen Fahey's PAT kick made it 21-7 with 3:52 left in the half.

When Prairie Ridge got the ball back, Bradshaw capped a four-play drive with a 21-yard TD pass to Jeff Simak.

The Wolves got second-half touchdown runs from Campbell (12 yards) and sophomore Tim Deering (9 yards).