Key play demonstrates Hawks' never-quit attitude

A key play made by senior middle linebacker Kyle Zelinsky on Friday night epitomizes the never-quit attitude of the 2008 Bartlett football team.

In the third quarter at Oswego, Zelinsky and the Hawks were playing a zone defense in protecting a 7-0 lead when a bit of miscommunication allowed Oswego quarterback Nick Welch to complete a 20-yard pass to 6-foot-3 wide receiver Marty Resner over the middle.

But as Resner ran for yardage after the catch, Zelinsky closed from behind and made the tackle, in the process knocking the ball free for a fumble the Hawks recovered at their own 18.

That turnover had a huge affect on the outcome because the Bartlett offense turned around and marched 74 yards for a Dan Karys field goal that pushed the lead to 10-0 with 2:48 left in the third quarter. The Hawks went on to win 17-0

"It was just the kind of thing where you never want to give up, which is how our whole team is," Zelinsky said of the play. "We want to go out there and play 100 percent every single play, and that's just what I did. I didn't even know the ball popped out. I just tackled him."

The shutout was Bartlett's first since Week 4 of last season, when the Hawks blanked Lake Park 35-0.

Playoff Hunt-ing: Huntley's 45-8 victory over Elmwood Park on Friday lifted the Red Raiders to a 2-0 record. It's the first time Huntley has started 2-0 since 2001, when the school was a member of the Big Northern Conference's White Division and reached the playoffs for the second time. A strong, experienced offensive line created wide running lanes for the second straight week, allowing running back Jordan Neukirch to ramble for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns on his first 3 carries.

These Red Raiders have a way to go to match the program's best start, though. The 2001 team started the season 7-0.

Getting defensive: The Larkin seniors, particularly those who play defense, made a statement Friday night in the Royals' 20-19 win at Jacobs.

Middle linebacker Zack Fluhler said before the season fans would see a different Larkin defense than the one singed repeatedly last year in a 75-58 Jacobs victory, the second-highest scoring high school football game in Illinois history.

The Royals demonstrated their improvement by stopping a potential game-winning Jacobs drive at the 20-yard line in the final minute. That forced the Golden Eagles to go for a 37-yard field goal that fell short with 45 seconds to play, setting off a Larkin celebration.

"The players just seemed thrilled to win a football game together as a group and as a new team," said Larkin coach Matt Gehrig, who earned his first victory as a head coach. "A lot of the guys we had as seniors this year contributed heavily and played quite a bit as juniors. I think they're having fun and they're happy they came out on top."

Gehrig, who concentrates on line play and calls the offense, credited assistants Adrian Barbera and Patrick Murphy for improving Larkin's defensive schemes and tackling fundamentals.

The key stat: In its first 2 games Larkin (1-1) has surrendered 37 total points to McHenry and Jacobs. The Royals allowed 141 total points to the same two teams at the start of last season.

Topping the record books: Cary-Grove senior kicker Marcus Kerrigan tied a state record Friday night by booting his 10th consecutive field goal without a miss. Kerrigan's 30-yard field goal in the first quarter of a 38-17 victory over Marian Central tied him for the all-time mark with Driscoll's Rich Albreski, who hit 10 straight field goals in 2003.

Kerrigan missed a chance to own the record for himself when his 48-yard attempt in the second quarter nudged just wide right of the goal post, though it had the distance.

Kerrigan's streak wasn't filled with gimmes. In fact, in the season opener at St. Charles North, he launched a 51-yard field goal in a 24-21 victory.

Charging ahead: Dundee-Crown evened its record at 1-1 with a 21-7 nonconference win over Streamwood at Millennium Field Saturday afternoon.

Senior quarterback Logan Kissack completed only 4-of-13 pass attempts, but 2 of them went for touchdowns. He connected on a 74-yarder to tailback Ian Salvatini in the second quarter and threw a 9-yard strike to Justin Strzelczyk in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

The victory gives the Chargers confidence heading into a pair of Fox Valley Conference crossovers in which they should also be competitive: this week at Grayslake North (0-2) and next week against Grayslake Central (1-1).