Buffalo Grove makes some noise, tops Elk Grove

The hit sounded like it belonged in a different sport.

Buffalo Grove sophomore Dominic Peterson came roaring downfield on a second-quarter kickoff Friday night, found Elk Grove’s returner and delivered a clean, jarring shot that forced a fumble.

Peterson recovered it, too.

Boom.

The play was one of several special-teams jolts for Buffalo Grove, which excelled in all three phases and snapped a two-game losing streak with a 31-14 homecoming football victory over Elk Grove at Grant Blaney Stadium.

“This was a great bounce back for us,” Bison senior running back Matthew Kaput said. “Great to win a game like this on our homecoming.”

Buffalo Grove (4-2, 1-1 Mid-Suburban East), which had lost to Elk Grove in each of the previous two seasons, led 21-7 at halftime after a wild second quarter in which the teams combined for 28 points.

Kaput supplied plenty of offense, rushing 30 times for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Nathan Raef completed 9 of 13 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown and added 49 yards rushing on only three carries.

But special teams helped tilt the Battle of the Groves.

After Kaput’s 18-yard touchdown run gave Buffalo Grove a 7-0 lead, Peterson made his hit and recovery. It was the sophomore linebacker’s first forced fumble and first fumble recovery.

“I was unblocked,” Peterson said. “I saw the returner.”

And then delivered a hit heard ’round Cook County and probably parts of Lake County.

Buffalo Grove capitalized, eventually going up 14-0 on Matthew Hong’s 5-yard touchdown run.

Elk Grove (2-4, 0-2) answered when senior quarterback Luke Maher connected with junior Athanasios Tromboukis for an 18-yard touchdown with 56 seconds left in the half.

Momentum, briefly, belonged to the Grenadiers.

Then Hong returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the Elk Grove 15.

Nineteen seconds later, Raef found senior Landon Durham for a 15-yard touchdown.

Instead of heading to halftime down 14-7, Elk Grove trailed 21-7.

Huge.

“Our theme this week was executing and doing our jobs,” Buffalo Grove special teams coach Sean Jacobs said. “We have some cleaning up to do, penalty-wise, in all three phases.”

The Bison defense did its job, too. Hong and senior Isaac Helkowski intercepted Maher in the third quarter, while senior Owen Erickson recorded a first-quarter sack.

Kaput’s 6-yard touchdown run made it 28-7 in the third quarter. Hunter Fredell added a 28-yard field goal in the fourth.

Maher threw his second touchdown pass to Tromboukis, from 27 yards, with 1:21 remaining.

Grens junior running back Erik Sandoval rushed for 76 yards on 21 carries.

“We fought and battled,” Elk Grove coach Danny O’Donnell said.

Buffalo Grove did a little more than that.

And somewhere around Grant Blaney Stadium, the echo of Peterson’s hit might still be bouncing around.