Warren bounces back big-time
After losing its first game of the football season last week, host Warren wanted to get back on the winning track Friday night against Zion-Benton.
The Blue Devils did that in style, while clinching a playoff berth in the process.
They built a commanding 28-0 halftime lead before rolling to a 42-0 North Suburban Conference Lake Division victory over the Zee-Bees before a large homecoming crowd.
Zion-Benton (1-6, 0-4) was forced to punt on its first possession and Warren's Nolan Sordyl came up with a huge 53-yard return to take the ball down to the Zee-Bees 27-yard-line.
Five plays later, Warren's Greg Kennedy (176 yards on 15 carries) went left for a 6-yard TD run before Anthony Portanova's extra point made the score 7-0 with 7:46 left in the first quarter.
Warren's Taylor Stahl scooped up a Zion-Benton fumble and took the ball down to the Zee-Bees' 32-yard-line to set up the Blue Devils' next score.
Warren (6-1, 3-1) needed only four plays to score, as Kennedy weaved through the defense going left again for an 11-yard TD run and a 14-0 lead with 4:11 left in the opening quarter.
The Blue Devils scored on their first three possessions, as a 47-yard pass from quarterback Pat Kenney to Kendell Harris took the ball down to the Zion-Benton 3.
Junior Gary Eppinger scored on a 3-yard run to boost the lead to 21-0 with 53.2 seconds left in the first quarter.
"Our kids bounced back after not playing very well last week (at Lake Zurich) and I'm glad to see that," said Warren coach Dave Mohapp. "I think the kids like playing in front of the big crowd on homecoming and we were fortunate to get out front like we did early in the game."
Warren's Addison Clark capped the first half scoring when he intercepted an Eric Pasiewicz pass and went 10 yards down the right sideline for a 28-0 lead with 9:41 left in the second quarter.
The Zee-Bees defense did a decent job bottling up Kennedy for no huge gains. Kennedy had 83 yards on 13 carries in the first half.
But after a 13-yard carry on Warren's first possession of the third quarter, Kennedy broke off an 80-yard TD run right up the middle.
His third TD boosted the lead to 35-0.
"It was a big win for us and we needed this to get in the playoffs," Kennedy said. "The running game worked well, our line did a good job pushing their line off the ball, and they made it happen."
A 28-yard run and a 13-yard run by Sordyl were keys to Warren's final TD as Tom Lindal scored on a 1-yard run to close out the scoring with exactly one minute left in the third quarter. The final 13 minutes of the game were played with a running clock.
Pasiewicz threw for 99 yards, but he was sacked five times for negative-18 yards.
"Our running game was solid and I thought both quarterbacks (Kenney and patrick Oliver) did a decent job," Mohapp said. "We want to be in the playoffs every year and I'm happy we got that sixth win."