Off and running: Suburban high school football teams try something new in Week 0
Wauconda junior Nick Ori had a record-book type of performance early Friday evening at Wheeling.
The 6-foot-3 Ori turned three passes from senior quarterback Logan Olsen into 160-plus yards receiving and 3 touchdowns. But there was a catch to plays such as his slick move to elude defenders on a short sideline pass and a leaping grab of a deep ball over a defender that went for 70 yards.
“Yes,” Ori said with a smile when asked if he wished he could save those plays for the regular season. “But I’m very confident. I think we’ll figure it out.”
In other words, Ori believes he will have plenty of chances to post big numbers that count when the regular season starts next week. And “Week Zero,” when the IHSA allowed opposing football teams throughout Illinois to scrimmage each other for the first time, received positive reviews at Wheeling after Wauconda won 18-0.
“I loved it,” said Wauconda standout senior two-way lineman Liam Carney. “You get a little game feel before Week 1. It gives us a little better preparation.”
Second-year Wheeling coach JeMarcus Moody played in scrimmages in high school in Wynne, Arkansas, which is 50 miles west of Memphis. When he came to Illinois to start coaching in 2018 he was surprised only intrasquad scrimmages were allowed.
“I’m glad it’s finally here,” Moody said. “It gives our kids that much more of a chance to get acclimated Week 1.”
A maximum of 48 plays were allowed in four 12-play segments with each team on offense once in each half. Kickoffs, punts and field goals weren’t allowed, and an interception return by Wauconda’s Nathan Pilaski was blown dead by the IHSA officiating crew.
Wheeling had a nice-sized student section, and senior Poli Tzarevski, who is in the school musical “Rent,” sang the national anthem. Wauconda coach Chris Prostka was glad to get a run-through on some road-trip logistics before a good-sized fan contingent and its cheerleaders.
“The intrasquad scrimmages were nice, but boy, this is nice to get another team across from you and get a little taste of it,” said Prostka, whose team hosts Hinsdale South next week and travels to Kaneland in Week 2.
“This week got us jumpstarted for next week,” Ori said. “It was much better than hitting your teammates.”
That included some nice sticks by sophomore linebacker Brody Rudolph for Wauconda and Nicholas Montesinos, Joey Nitti and Justin Ghibea of Wheeling. Both coaches agreed the quarterbacks were off limits.
“I’m sure we’ll learn a lot of things that people did differently,” Prostka said. “It went faster than I thought it would.”
Moody would also like to see more plays permitted in the future. But he was excited to play a Wauconda team that has made the second round of the playoffs the last three seasons.
“It was a cool experience,” said Moody, whose team starts the season at North Chicago and Hoffman Estates. “It was a good chance to work the kinks out and get a game-day feel before it actually counts in the record books.”