On to nationals for youth football teams

One week after getting knocked out of a game, Trenton Snyder knocked in the Naperville Patriots' biggest points of the year.

Snyder, the Midget-level Patriots standout quarterback and defensive back who also kicks and punts, booted a 35-yard field goal to give Naperville a 3-0 win over High Ridge in the championship game of the Chicagoland American Youth Football League Sunday at Benedictine University in Lisle.

The Midgets were one of three Patriots teams to advance to the AYF national tournament, which will be Dec. 1-8 in Orlando. Naperville's Junior Pee Wee and Pee Wee teams won earlier Sunday.

A hard hit knocked Snyder out of the Patriots' 20-14 win over the Naperville Red team in the semifinals Nov. 11.

Snyder, diagnosed with a concussion, was cleared to play on Friday. He started at defensive back but didn't enter at quarterback until the last minute of the first half.

"I was excited when they told me I could play," Snyder said. "It made my weekend."

After a scoreless first half, a 46-yard run by Jack Amaro set up the Patriots deep in High Ridge territory. The drive stalled, but Snyder knocked in the 35-yard field goal, his longest kick of the year.

"I knew I could make it," he said. "I think you have to feel confident if you're going to make that far of a field goal."

Snyder later made a touchdown-saving tackle on a long High Ridge run near midfield late in the fourth quarter. The Patriots stopped High Ridge's final drive at the Naperville 22-yard line with 1:15 left.

"The defense played very well," Patriots coach Mike Oliver said. "Probably its best game of the year."

A close, hard-fought game was no surprise between two of the top programs in the Chicagoland AYF. Naperville (13-0) beat High Ridge 27-12 during the regular season.

"It's always a close game with them every year," Oliver said. "It doesn't matter what their record is."

In the first game of the day, Naperville's Junior Pee Wee team knocked off previously undefeated Portage Park 6-0. The win avenged an 8-0 loss in overtime in September.

Naperville (10-2) outscored its three playoff opponents 44-0, only allowed 32 points all year and shut out its last four opponents. In the semifinals, the Patriots beat Park Ridge 32-0, turning the tables on another team that beat them during the season.

"The last two games have just been outstanding," Patriots coach Brian Kronewitter said. "Defensively we've played well all season."

Naperville scored the only touchdown of the game with 7 seconds left in the first half. Quarterback Matt Neufeldt scored on a 12-yard bootleg run around the end.

"We were running off-tackle to the right side," Kronewitter said, "and they adjusted. We saw an opening to run a bootleg to the opposite side. It was a great play."

The Patriots' defense did the rest, led by linebackers Davon Burrell, Nate Helms and Brandon Kronewitter.

The Pee Wee Patriots (11-0) withstood a stiff challenge from Park Ridge for an 18-14 win. Naperville built an 18-0 halftime lead before Park Ridge scored two touchdowns in the third quarter.

Park Ridge twice drove past midfield in the fourth quarter, but was turned away. Elijah Robertson dropped a Park Ridge runner for a loss on fourth down to thwart one scoring opportunity. Robertson later had a sack on Park Ridge's last drive, which was stopped with 17 seconds left on an interception by Naperville's Brendan O'Brien.

"Park Ridge played us very hard," Patriots coach Doug DiFusco said. "I was proud of the way our kids played. They stood tall when they had to."

Naperville scored first with 7:16 left in the second quarter. Miles Simelton, a Junior Olympic sprinter that DiFusco said "is one of the fastest kids his age in Illinois" weaved his way for a 69-yard score.

"He's a tremendous person and a tremendous athlete," DiFusco said.

Simelton later added a 21-yard touchdown on a halfback pass to Danny Dudek. Dudek's 3-yard TD run made it 18-0 just before halftime.

Park Ridge was only the second opponent to score on the Patriots all year.

"It was one of those years where a team comes together," DiFusco said, "and all of the elements are there for a special team. They really are a special team. You can't ask for more as a coach."