Adams rules as Mundelein downs Wauconda

Mundelein senior Tyler Adams might be king for the day, but he first wants to play detective.

Adams recovered a fumble by Wauconda punter Kevin Carpentier and ran it in 14 yards to give Mundelein the lead for good in its 18-9 win over Wauconda Friday night. The win was Mundelein's first of the season and came over its Homecoming weekend.

Adams, who was crowned Homecoming King earlier in the day, felt he was in the right place at the right time with 3:57 left in the game. Though he took advantage of the key turnover, it wasn't clear who forced it, and Adams would love to find out to provide the proper credit

With Wauconda punting from its own 30, the snap to Carpentier was low. Carpentier retrieved the ball and tried to set himself to punt, but a Mundelein player knocked the ball loose, giving Adams his chance.

Adams, who had fumbled at least twice earlier in the game, now saw life from the other side.

"I felt bad about the fumbles, and I felt the need to redeem myself, but I only got the opportunity because one of my teammates knocked the ball loose," Adams said. "It was all him."

Who was it? With many players' numbers obscured by mud from Mundelein's waterlogged field, identifying him might be difficult for Mundelein coach Bob Stone, who also did not know who forced the fumble.

The muddy field deteriorated as the night wore on and the rain came down harder, making it difficult to run the ball on the outside, pass the ball, or even hang onto it.

"Between the two hashes, it was a mudpit," Wauconda coach Dave Mills said. "Unfortunately, we do not play that kind of style of offense."

Mundelein, who ran the ball 59 times, took advantage.

"There's nothing you can do about (the rain)," Stone said. "It changes your plans a little, but we wanted to run the ball anyway."

After the visiting Bulldogs got on the board thanks to a 31-yard field goal by Carpentier, the Mustangs did just that, running off more than seven minutes on a 14-play, 81-yard drive punctuated by Mike O'Donoghue's 8-yard touchdown run that made it 6-3.

Wauconda regained the lead late in the second quarter on a play befitting the game. With the Bulldogs working out of a shotgun formation, the snap hit quarterback Brian Kent on the facemask and caromed straight up. Kent caught the ball in midair, and struggled to maintain his footing as a Mundelein defensive end pursued him from his blindside.

Rolling right, Kent chucked a pass into the end zone, where 5-foot-11 sophomore wide receiver Jake Ziolkowski pulled down the pass and managed to keep his toes inbounds. Carpentier's point after attempt hit the left upright, so Wauconda's took a 3-point lead into the half.

Both teams traded fumbles early in the second half and neither offense was able to sustain a drive of any length. After Adams ran back the fumble for a touchdown with 3:57 left, Mundelein's defense helped put the Bulldogs (2-3) away. The Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs at the Wauconda 10 after a high snap on fourth-and-13. Four plays later, Mundelein quarterback Brian Santiago ran the ball in 1 yard to make it 18-9 with 1:58 left.

Either way, it was a satisfying victory for the Mustangs (1-4), who held on despite fumbling eight times (and losing four of them).

"This will renew our efforts," said Stone whose Mustangs turn their attention to Lake Forest (2-3). "These guys needed a win."