Who had the area’s top prep football performances of Week 1?
If this looks familiar, it should.
Now that the school year is back in full swing, it’s time for the High Five to focus again on prep football. This edition — and every edition until the end of the season — looks at the area’s top performances from Week 1.
Like last season, we’ll do our best to adhere to a no-repeat rule. At least until the playoffs, and then you’ll likely start seeing some familiar names again.
5. Lucas Curry, OL, Antioch
Clean shotgun snaps for an entire evening is solid enough, but Curry did much more for the Sequoits in a 34-29 win over Schaumburg.
The 6-foot-1, 280-pound senior center led a powerful offensive line that paved the way for 422 total yards including 377 on the ground. Two running backs rushed for more than 100 yards led by Gavin Stone’s 182 yards on 10 carries.
Curry’s game tape emphasized relentlessness, whistle-to-whistle blocking that often drove his defender five yards downfield.
4. Johnny Louise, K-DL, Montini
How many backup high school kickers can boot 40-yard field goals with the game on the line? We’ve got one right here.
Louise hit a pair of 42-yarders to account for Montini’s lone second-half points in a 20-16 victory over Lumen Christi from Michigan.
The 6-2, 220-pound junior, who became the kicker because of an injury on the team three weeks before the season opener, also batted a pass that led to a victory-sealing interception by teammate Kenny Hines.
Louis had three tackles and a sack, punted a ball that was downed inside the 10-yard line and blasted a kickoff 78 yards after the Broncos intentionally took a safety late in the game.
3. Aidan Nuno, DL, Burlington Central
The Rockets notched their first shutout since 2016 behind Nuno’s big plays.
The 6-1, 270-pound senior lineman helped the defense hold Crystal Lake South to 52 total yards in a 21-0 Fox Valley Conference win.
Nuno, an all-FVC pick as a junior, had 5 tackles including one for loss and three sacks. The defensive end was a backfield menace with five quarterback pressures.
2. MarQuan Brewster, WR-DB, Fremd
The 1,000-yard receiver from a year ago instantly showed that Western Illinois might’ve gotten a steal with Brewster’s commitment in July.
He also got it done on defense. The 6-1, 170-pound senior cornerback snared an interception on the Vikings’ first defensive series against Lake Zurich.
Brewster’s pick led to Fremd’s opening touchdown in a 35-3 victory over the Bears.
Brewster also accounted for a big chunk of Northwestern-bound quarterback Johnny O’Brien’s passing yardage with nine catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
1. Aaron Stewart, RB, Warren
Could anyone else take the top spot? The 5-7, 175-pound senior, committed to Illinois, was unstoppable as the Blue Devils hung on for a 43-36 victory over Hersey.
Stewart plowed for 438 yards on 43 carries. He needed every bit of that yardage while scoring six touchdowns and accounting for every score by Warren.
Stewart’s final touchdown came on a 79-yard run with 3:38 to play in the fourth quarter and the Blue Devils nursing a 29-28 lead.