Meadows' run to playoff berth continues

Rolling Meadows' running game was just too tough for Hersey to contain Friday night.

The Mustangs totaled 280 yards rushing to keep their playoff hopes alive as they posted a 39-14 Mid-Suburban East triumph.

Meadows' offensive line overpowered the Huskies' 3-4 defense, serving as the key to the Mustangs' hard-earned yards.

The big story that put the game out of reach was second-string senior running back Rusit Hallam.

"You have to trust in your O-line to put points on the scoreboard," Hallam said. "The O-line did a great job. Our center Tommy Davidson did a great job helping me to push in all of my scores."

Hallam only had 3 carries in the first half but broke out in the second half with 11 carries for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns.

He felt it was a great opportunity for the amount of reps he took since he is a backup to Daquan Edwards.

"This is the most action I've had all year," Hallam said. "I guess coach was thinking, 'Let's see what he's got.' "

Junior quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (5-for-8, 116 yards and a touchdown) also had a 2 touchdowns on 19 carries for 115 yards.

This win gives the Mustangs (4-4, 2-2) a positive boost as they push for a sixth straight playoff spot with a win next Friday at Buffalo Grove.

"We talked about the playoff hunt to get the kids excited," said Meadows coach Doug Millsaps. "This week's practice was the best we had all year. We decided to run more in the second half and it paid off. The 'O' line did great a job and the defense made some great stops. This was a great win."

The Huskies (1-7, 1-3) kept it close in the first half, going into the locker room with a 20-7 deficit.

However, when Hallam scored midway through the third quarter, it killed any momentum that the Huskies could muster.

"We made too many mistakes," said Huskies coach Mark Gunther. "We had a lot of chances to score, but you have to give credit to Meadows. They made us make a lot of mistakes on offense and defense."