South Elgin wins season opener for first time
From the opening quarter, Marmion looked to manhandle South Elgin all afternoon.
The Cadets' 14-0 lead was largely built through their 164 rushing yards. But the Storm's defensive adjustments - both of the play calling and mental variety - would respond by allowing Marmion a measly 66 yards on the ground after the first quarter explosion.
The defensive adjustments were enough to allow South Elgin to win its season opener for the first time in the program's 4-year history with a 24-14 win at Millennium Field in Streamwood. The Storm's pervious season-opening losses were all at the hands of Marmion.
"Our defense came together," said South Elgin linebacker Sean Kolber, who led his team with 9.5 tackles. "We started switching up our defense. We came out sluggish, then we brought it."
The Storm (1-0) went from a 4-4 defense to a 4-3 and 5-2, allowing an extra man up front to help control the line of scrimmage. South Elgin needed to do something as Adam Andras (15 yards) and Winkel (2 yards) torched it for touchdowns in the first half.
Cadets' quarterback Will Sterne found Matt Pincon in the end zone to convert a 2-point conversion, giving Marmion a 14-0 lead with 39 seconds left in the first half.
"It was a tough start," South Elgin coach Dale Schabert said. "I was thinking here we go again. We had to do something to get back in the game."
The something came at the hands - or hand - of Jake Kumerow. The junior wide receiver made a one-handed grab on a 32-yard pass from quarterback John Menken late in the first half.
Kumerow (4 receptions, 102 yards) set up a 6-yard touchdown run from Brad Birchfield with 9:36 remaining in the first half. Kumerow would make another one-handed snag, this time a touchdown, to put South Elgin up for good at 17-14 with 7:33 left in the third quarter.
Birchfield added an 18-yard scoring scramble with 2:04 left in the third quarter putting South Elgin up 24-14. David Reisner had connected on a 33-yard field goal for the Storm 39 seconds before halftime, cutting Marmion's lead to 14-10 at the half.
"In the first half, we showed what we could do by running the ball right at them," Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. "We couldn't let them make big plays and they had the two big pass plays."