Schmit: Who had the area’s top prep football performances in Week 7?
You may have noticed notable names missing from this season’s weekly list of top prep football performances.
This week we’re finally grabbing low-hanging fruit.
We’re quarterback-heavy in this edition, and with good reason. Although there were a bunch of blowouts, we just couldn’t ignore the monster efforts.
Let’s get right to the area’s top performances of Week 7.
5. Danny Moscoso, K, South Elgin
A goalkeeper on the Storm’s boys soccer team, Moscoso showed he can also get it done with the other football.
South Elgin trailed by a point in the final seconds when the senior kicked a 32-yard field goal to lift his team to a 29-27 victory over West Aurora in an Upstate Eight West Conference showdown.
It was the first field goal for Moscoso, playing his first season of football. After edging the only other unbeaten conference team, South Elgin now sits alone atop the West division standings.
4. Tay Smith, QB, Lake Park
The Lancers grabbed a huge second win on the season, beating St. Charles East 35-21 behind their senior quarterback.
Smith accounted for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion while helping Lake Park hold off the Saints. Showing skill with his arm and his legs, the senior threw for 230 yards and rushed for 110.
Key to victory was winning the field-position battle, which Smith aided by averaging 40 yards per punt.
3. Jayden Evans, WR-DB, Palatine
The Pirates broke a two-game losing streak — and nearly matched their point total from the previous four weeks combined — in a 62-33 Mid-Suburban League West victory over Schaumburg.
Evans did a little bit of everything, carrying the ball four times for 73 yards and catching three passes for 61 yards. The senior scored two touchdowns and topped his effort with an interception on defense and 70-yard return inside Schaumburg’s 10-yard line.
2. Jake Nawrot, QB, Hersey
Oh yeah … this guy.
After seven weeks, we’re finally honoring one of the nation’s top senior quarterbacks. Nawrot, committed to Kentucky, was simply too good in a 71-0 Mid-Suburban East win over Elk Grove as the Huskies stayed unbeaten on the season at 7-0.
Nawrot completed 19 of 24 passes for 322 yards and six touchdowns. He ran for a seventh touchdown while accounting for 333 total yards.
1. Ben Peterson, QB, Geneva
For the second straight week, the Vikings grab the top spot.
Geneva showed no letdown after last week’s thrilling win over Batavia, storming past Glenbard North 62-35 in the DuKane Conference with another massive offensive display.
Peterson, a senior committed to Eastern Michigan, was immensely efficient while completing 12 of 16 passes for 357 yards. Geneva scored on all six of its first-half possessions as Peterson threw four of his seven touchdown passes.
Illinois-bound Bennett Konkey and fellow receiver Luke Ignoffo each went over 100 receiving yards. Peterson sailed past the 2,000 passing yards on the season while his completion percentage jumped past 70%.