Schmit: Who had the area’s top prep football performances of Week 4?
Cross another no-brainer off the top performances list.
Here at the High Five, we knew it was just a matter of time before Montini senior quarterback and Miami recruit Israel Abrams went off the board with an electric outing. We’re actually surprised we were able to wait four weeks to honor him.
As we pass the midpoint of the regular season, here are the area’s top prep football performances of Week 4.
5. Caden Moran, DB, Prospect
Prospect pulled away for a 35-21 Mid-Suburban League crossover win over Fremd, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, it took a trio of interceptions by Moran to hang on.
The first came in the end zone to preserve a scoreless tie in the first quarter. The second, just before halftime, again was snared in the end zone with the game still tied 14-14.
The final interception by the senior happened at midfield and led to a third-quarter touchdown that gave the Knights a cushion at 28-14. Moran’s effort, which included seven tackles, tied a program record for interceptions in a game.
4. Brennon Zeng, WR, Batavia
We honored Bulldogs quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren after the season opener, and now it’s a receiver’s turn.
Batavia beat Lake Park 55-7 in DuKane Conference action, with Zeng doing much of the damage in the first half with a bunch of yards after catch. The senior, committed to Northern Illinois University, had eight catches for 132 yards and four touchdowns.
Zeng enters Week 5 having caught half of Vander Luitgaren’s 14 touchdown passes on the season.
3. Charlie Larson, WR-LB, Metea Valley
The Mustangs staged a stunning DuPage Valley Conference rally to top Neuqua Valley for the first time in program history, 34-29.
The senior caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Iggy Amorrortu with nine seconds left to cap a rally from 16 points down in the fourth quarter. For the game, Larson had seven catches for 188 yards and two scores.
Larson, a former quarterback, also had nine tackles on defense and threw a 35-yard completion.
2. Jackson Spizzirri, RB, Conant
Conant’s run-heavy offense went to work again in a 37-22 MSL crossover win over previously unbeaten Buffalo Grove.
Spizzirri carried the ball 22 times for 295 yards and touchdown runs of 3, 80, 86 and 35 yards.
The Cougars improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2022 and play Palatine for the chance to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 2019 when they started the season 6-0.
1. Israel Abrams, QB, Montini
Abrams, with two state titles in hand already, looked primed for a third in a thrilling 47-42 victory over Nazareth.
He accounted for all seven Montini touchdowns — four passing and three rushing — including a 33-yard pass to Damacio Ortegon with 34 seconds left to rally the Broncos from a 42-27 fourth-quarter deficit.
Abrams completed 25 of 35 passes for 411 yards in a game that wasn’t decided until Orlando Greco’s interception with 10 seconds left.
kschmit@dailyherald.com