Antioch uses big plays to turn tables on LZ
Lake Zurich and Antioch met twice last season — including a second-round playoff game — and the Bears won both by a combined score of 68-0.
LZ was also shut out in Week 1 by Fremd. So maybe with past results in mind, Lake Zurich's offense decided to start this rematch with a simple plan. They used seven straight runs up the middle to drive 75 yards for the opening touchdown.
Junior Adrian Stanek took the first six carries, then senior Brock Rubicz stepped in for the last two, scoring on a 17-yard run behind senior center Ryan Pease.
Antioch made the defensive adjustment, though, hit some big plays with running back Gavin Stone and rolled to a 34-21 nonconference victory at Lake Zurich on Friday.
“A year ago, they were running it down our throat,” Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said. “We couldn't get of the field and they were grounding and pounding. Why wouldn't you do the same thing? You're a bigger school, let's pound the little school. Our guys responded, which was outstanding.”
Stanek had 46 rushing yards on his first 5 carries, then finished with 77 on 19 attempts. Antioch defensive line of Willie Hamilton, Camryn Mowery and Harrison Victor won the trenches the rest of the way.
“I feel like there wasn't really a strategy change,” Hamilton said. “We just had a reality check. We knew what we were in for and we adjusted well to it.”
Most of the Antioch scoring happened on big plays. Stone ran for 3 touchdowns, including an 85-yarder late in the first half. He finished with 160 yards on 16 carries.
Junior star Logan Lennon had mostly a quiet night, with just 14 yards on the ground, but he caught a 58-yard touchdown pass for the Sequoits' final touchdown.
Lennon is electric, but technically Stone is Antioch's speed back.
“He (Stone) is our school record holder in the 100, so he is the fastest kid we've ever had,” Glashagel said. “Guys have angles and they can't contain him.”
Antioch's first touchdown came on a 72-yard pass to Chance Verden, then quarterback Ethan Patel connected with Verden again for 28 yards on fourth-and-9 to set up a short Stone touchdown run and put the Sequoits ahead for good at 14-7.
One bright spot for Lake Zurich was quarterback Joey Wessman found some success through the air. Late in the first half, he drove the team downfield and scored on a spinning, 13-yard run, giving the Bears a much-needed touchdown to make it 21-14 at intermission.
Wessman finished with 167 passing yards and 71 on the ground. First-year LZ coach Dragan Teonic would like to take back a failed fake punt in the second quarter.
“We had growth, we got better,” Teonic said. “They're older than us. We improved. We've got some work to do, obviously. We had a punt-run option that didn't go our way. In hindsight, we should have just called it for a kick. We did not stop them much in the second half, but last week we didn't do much offensively. We're in the growth phase.”