Whitehead tradition alive and well; Auto-Action powers Glenbard N.
Larkin wide receiver Trevor Whitehead is catching footballs at a blistering pace, a trait that runs in the family.
Whitehead made 9 receptions for 127 yards in Saturday's 16-14 victory over St. Charles East to help even Larkin's record at 2-2.
In four contests this season, the 6-foot, 180-pound senior has caught 37 passes for 622 yards and 5 touchdowns. His best game came in the season opener, when he finished with 13 receptions for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns. Saturday's total of 127 yards was his third-lowest of the season.
Whitehead has a pretty reliable coach giving him pointers. His older brother, Bryan Whitehead, is a volunteer assistant coach for his alma mater this season. As a senior at Larkin in the fall of 2006, Bryan made 41 receptions for a then-school-record 1,036 yards and 15 touchdowns. "He's helped me a lot," Trevor said Saturday, pointing to his brother.
Trevor Whitehead is on pace to surpass 2008 graduate Nick Bee's record of 1,076 yards receiving. Considering his easy rapport with good friend and quarterback Kyle Newquist, Bee's record is in serious jeopardy.
Against St. Charles East in the second half, Whitehead slipped while making a cut on damp Memorial Field. Newquist, rolling to his left, threw the ball anyway, knowing Whitehead would get to his feet by the time the ball arrived. He made the catch for 12 yards and a first down.
"Regardless if he falls, I know he's going to get back up and he's going to give 100 percent," Newquist said. "He's not going to quit on a play. I have an unbelievable amount of trust in Trevor."
Panthers' 1-2 run punch: It's the one-two punch that usually ends in a knockout.
Glenbard North running backs Evin "Auto" Natick and Phil "Action" Jackson, to no one's surprise, have developed into a potent backfield combo that's helped the Panthers jump out to a 4-0 mark on the season. They improved to 2-0 in the DuPage Valley Conference with Friday's 17-14 win over previously-unbeaten Wheaton North.
Natick, a senior who was an all-DVC pick last year, and Jackson, a junior, combined for 42 carries and 184 rushing yards as the Panthers and their offensive line wore down the Falcons in the second half. A drive of 13 plays and two drives of 8 plays helped bring home the win in the second half.
"We don't really track their carries but it comes out to be about even," said Panthers coach Ryan Wilkens. "Now that Phil's playing less on defense, it's easier for us."
Natick and Jackson both spend time at linebacker for the Panthers, but both are able to get some rest by sitting an occasional offensive series. Natick played quite a bit more than Jackson on defense against Wheaton North but still managed to gain 139 rushing yards on 25 carries.
"He takes pressure off me, I take pressure off him," Natick said. "It's good teamwork."
Glenbard North killed the final three minutes, 59 seconds of the game by starting with three Jackson runs for 18 yards and four Natick runs for 15 yards. The Panthers clinched it on quarterback Mark Ng's keeper on fourth-and-1.
"I think it's definitely helpful when you've got a stable of backs like they do," said Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski.
Mixed emotions: St. Charles North evened its record at 2-2 with a 56-42 homecoming win over Streamwood on Friday night with a final score that looks more natural next to one of coach Tom Poulin's basketball games.
How the North Stars got to .500 left players and coaches alike knowing improvements must be made, especially with Geneva - 2-0 in the Upstate Eight River Division - looming Friday.
"We have to get better defensively," St. Charles North coach Mark Gould said. "It's everything. It's tackling, it's assignments."
Versatile fullback Dirk Schmitt was one of the North Stars who helped the team overcome Streamwood's 42 points by scoring 3 touchdowns. One came on a 9-yard catch, one on a 52-yard run and the third on a 72-yard kickoff return - all in the North Stars' 28-point third quarter.
"It's nice to score those points but it's also nice to not allow all those points on defense," Schmitt said. "We have to work on that in practice. It's going to be a good week of practice."
Sabre rattlers: Streamwood (1-3) had plenty of offensive heroes, too. Sophomore wide receiver Blake Holder caught 3 touchdown passes from quarterback Dalton Lundeen. Holder scored on 32-, 14- and 11-yard receptions while Lundeen finished with 212 yards passing.
The Sabres also moved the ball effectively on the ground behind running back Alex Morrow's 168 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.
"There's no question coming into the year we thought we had people who could make some big plays as receivers or runners," Streamwood coach Cal Cummins said.
Streamwood has a chance to get to .500 the next two weeks as the Sabres play a pair of 0-4 teams, East Aurora and then St. Charles East.
Cam tough for St. Viator: St. Viator senior quarterback Cameron Korab was not happy when he came out to rest his right ankle for the final five minutes of Friday's 34-21 East Suburban Catholic Conference win over Nazareth.
But the Lions were thrilled to have Korab back after he missed part of a 28-20 win over Dunbar and all of a 39-0 loss to Carmel with a high ankle sprain. He threw for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns and 111 yards and 2 touchdowns in his return.
The numbers and the toughness were similar to his predecessor a year ago - ESCC MVP Julian Sipiora.
"It's been sore all week butlast year against Marian Catholic, Julian did the same thing and that's what I took a page out of," Korab said. "Julian and I talked before and I told him, 'I'm going to play like you played. I'm going to do the exact same thing.'"
Viator improved to 3-1 as it heads into a difficult stretch starting with St. Patrick at Chicago's Hanson Stadium on Friday. Joliet Catholic, Marist, nemesis Benet and Marian Catholic follow.
"This conference will be a long haul," Korab said. "Coach K (Chris Kirkpatrick) said we have as much talent as the next team. It looks bright. This was a big win."
But Kirkpatrick also pointed to areas that have to get better after a busted coverage on a 93-yard touchdown pass got Nazareth back in the game.
"We still are not disciplined enough to be where we want to be," Kirkpatrick said. "We have to be more disciplined."
No fear against No. 1: Elk Grove held a 2-point lead when it faced a fourth-and-4 at the 48 of Schaumburg, the state's top-ranked Class 8A team, with about eight minutes to play Thursday.
Matt Brandt lined up to punt but the snap went to up-back Kyle Jankusky and he ran for 6 yards. Three plays later, Meyer sped into the end zone from 16 yards even though he lost a shoe on the play for Elk Grove's final points in its 36-34 victory.
"I was a little scared on that one," Elk Grove coach Brian Doll said with a smile on the sideline moments after the fake punt worked.
"I was mad I didn't get the first down," said Meyer, who credited special teams coach Brian Lee for helping curtail his anger.
And three plays after taking the lead for good at 30-28 on Brandt's field goal, Jeff Miceli came up with a big interception on a deflection from teammate Eddie Solorio.
"We came back and made big plays," said Elk Grove linebacker John Eliades.
No topping the Hilltoppers: With Saturday's 42-0 varsity win over Oak Park, Glenbard West's football program stayed unbeaten at all five levels. The varsity, junior varsity, sophomore, freshman "A" and freshman "B" teams are a combined 18-0 and have outscored opponents by a combined margin of 613-67.
"You've got to credit our youth program, our Golden Eagles program, and you've got to credit our freshman coaches," said Hilltoppers head coach Chad Hetlet. "They're as good as it gets. They're the ones who develop all this talent. It's not like all of a sudden these guys get good at the varsity level. It's a credit to everyone in the program."
• Daily Herald sports writers Jerry Fitzpatrick, Kevin Schmit, John Lemon and Marty Maciaszek compiled this report.