Football: Week 6 MVPs
Geneva senior quarterback Daniel Santacaterina and Bartlett junior defensive back Cameron Mays have earned Daily Herald MVP honors for their performances in Week 6 of the high school football season.
Santacaterina threw for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns in a victory over St. Charles East, while Mays intercepted 2 passes in an overtime win against Glenbard East, returning one of them 75 yards for a touchdown.
OFFENSE
Daniel Santacaterina, Geneva: The Northern Illinois-bound senior quarterback kept the chains moving in a 40-7 Upstate Eight River win over St. Charles East. As the Vikings went 6-for-6 on fourth-down conversions, "Santa" completed 22 of 35 passes (63 percent) for 293 yards, 3 touchdowns. He added 38 yards rushing.
Kyle Bartusch, Crystal Lake South: This 6-foot-2, 185-pound fullback was the deciding factor in a critical win for the Gators at Dundee-Crown. With his team leading 10-7 at the half, the senior rushed for 194 of his 247 yards in the final 2 quarters, including touchdown runs of 3, 80 and 3 yards, to lead CL South to a 31-13 victory that evened its record at 3-3.
Cody Brumm, Lakes: He's more than just a kicker. The senior had quite the night in a 73-13 rout of Vernon Hills. He rushed for a touchdown, caught a TD pass, set a school record by going 10 of 10 on PAT kicks, booted a field goal, recovered an onside kick and drilled 2 kickoffs for touchbacks.
Johnny Davidson, Barrington: Davidson produced only the most recent in a string of efficiently productive games as Barrington remained unbeaten through Week 6 following a 42-7 victory at Conant. The junior quarterback completed 12 of 15 passes, one of them a 73-yard scoring strike to Scotty Miller, to finish with 254 yards through the air without an interception.
Devion Hodges, Glenbard North: The 5-foot-8, 165-pound junior running back carried the load in a 27-23 DuPage Valley Conference win over Wheaton North. Hodges ran the ball 40 times for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, he forced a fumble that teammate Alex Taylor scooped and scored for the game-winning touchdown.
DEFENSE
Cameron Mays, Bartlett: This 5-foot-10, 165-pound defensive back had a game to remember in a 23-20 overtime victory over Glenbard East. The junior snagged 2 interceptions, returning the first 75 yards for a touchdown that staked the Hawks to a 14-7 second-quarter lead. Mays also forced 2 fumbles to lead the Bartlett defense to a school-record 7 turnovers.
Khalil Guisse, Aurora Central Catholic: Moving to defensive tackle from nose guard to spell an injured teammate, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior was a plague upon Fenton's quarterback in the Chargers' 35-13 Metro Suburban West win. Guisse made 12 tackles with a sack among his 3 tackles for loss, with 3 more quarterback hurries.
Rory Koenig, Stevenson: As ferocious as the Patriots have been on defense lately, his first name may as well be spelled "Roar-y." The senior linebacker posted 8 tackles, including 4 for loss, in a 21-0 shutout of Lake Zurich. It marked the second game in a row that the undefeated Patriots did not allow a touchdown.
Cameron Mays, Bartlett: This 5-foot-10, 165-pound defensive back had a game to remember in a 23-20 overtime victory over Glenbard East. The junior snagged 2 interceptions, returning the first 75 yards for a touchdown that staked the Hawks to a 14-7 second-quarter lead. Mays also forced 2 fumbles to lead the Bartlett defense to a school-record 7 turnovers.
Matt McCabe, Fremd: The Vikings' junior defensive lineman was a key in Fremd's 37-7 victory at Schaumburg. McCabe finished with 2 sacks, 4 quarterback hurries and 8 tackles, including 3 for loss. He leads the Vikings' season stats with 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Joe Schweikart, Naperville Central: The defensive end dominated in a 27-6 cross-town win over Naperville North. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior had 3 sacks among his 5 tackles, including one that forced a fumble for a Redhawks touchdown. Schweikart added 4 quarterback hurries and a tipped pass that led to an interception.