Graham's still a Wildcats superfan

Libertyville's No. 1 fan had fans cheering for him last weekend.

Gary Graham has walked the sidelines at almost every Libertyville football game for the last 30 years. He's missed only a handful of basketball games during that time and, as part manager, part superfan, he's a favorite with players and coaches alike for his helpfulness and outgoing personality.

At Libertyville's homecoming game against Stevenson last week, Graham was honored as part of a celebration of his 30th class reunion.

The 1978 graduate, who was a special education student at Libertyville and currently lives at nearby Lambs Farm, now has a scholarship in his name. Funds raised by the class of 1978, about $4,000, will be awarded to students at the school who show Graham's passion and loyalty for all things Libertyville.

"I am the No. 1 fan here," the 50-year-old Graham said proudly. "I want to keep going with the teams as long as I can. I just like the atmosphere."

Stubborn about scoring: Carmel's offense headed into last Friday's action with a remarkable streak of scoring touchdowns on 14 straight possessions.

After receiving the opening kickoff against Notre Dame, however, the Corsairs gained just 6 yards on three plays and faced fourth-and-4 at their own 48-yard line. Carmel tried a fake punt, but linebacker Connor Sexson was dropped for no gain after taking the short snap.

Was coach Andy Bitto trying to keep the touchdown streak alive, is that why he called the fake punt?

"No, we had been practicing it for five weeks and I was trying to find a time to use it," he said. "I have so much confidence in our defense, anytime we're around midfield, we might take chances like that. I don't think my defensive coordinator (Randy Hofman) was too happy, though."

Notre Dame's defense made Carmel work for every yard. While securing a 21-14 victory, the Corsairs finished with 217 yards on 48 rushing attempts and converted a fourth-and-1 at their own 46 late in the third quarter. Two plays later, quarterback Andrew Nerup scored on a 38-yard run to put Carmel ahead 14-0.

Quote of the week: "Neither defense was comfortable with what was going on out there." - Wauconda coach Glen Kozlowski in the wake of his team's 65-52 loss to Lake Forest last week.

Mike McGraw contributed to this report.