Flying starts: Round Lake, Elk Grove top list of notable 2-0 teams

The first sign that things might be different for Round Lake this season happened in the first quarter of the season opener.

Already backed up inside their own 5-yard line, the Panthers were hit with a procedure penalty. Instead of conceding a punt, quarterback Evan West let one fly. Receiver Jaquan Jamerson ran under it and raced for a 98-yard touchdown.

Making this play even more incredible, it was the first catch of Jamerson's high school football career. He's a basketball star at the school who decided to give football a try as a senior.

“I mainly came out because I wanted to change Round Lake,” Jamerson said. “I used to play (football) when I was young. I did find joy with it, but then I kind of fell out of love with it. Freshman year, I thought about playing.”

The 98-yard touchdown against Larkin was his first catch, but second target.

“My first route, I didn't really run it,” Jamerson said. “Then the second time, I wanted the ball. It was perfect, right in my hands.”

Head coach Randi Dey insists he had nothing to do with putting Jamerson in a helmet and shoulder pads. Dey gave all the recruiting credit to senior Devin Powell.

“I don't recruit anyone for football,” Dey said. “You have to want to be here.”

When Dey took the job last year, he noticed West had a strong arm, so he was willing to install a pass-heavy, spread offense, and it's brought Round Lake to a surprising 2-0 record. The Panthers had won two games in the previous four years combined, and haven't won three in a season since 2006.

But Dey is a 1999 Round Lake graduate and Army veteran, most of his assistant coaches have ties to the school, and he believes a major change is possible.

“I'm from Round Lake,” he said. “I've heard the jokes. I've seen the Tik Toks. Those things don't change on their own. I wasn't going to make wins a priority, I was going to make behavior a priority. I was going to put my foot down and hold everyone accountable.”

Last week at Streamwood, the Panthers trailed 27-13 at halftime, but came back for a 28-27 victory. The final minutes saw Round Lake record a safety on a bad punt snap, then take the ensuing free kick and drive for the winning score, an 8-yard pass from West to Powell.

“No one from Round Lake has come from 14 points down, because there was no fight in them,” said Dey, who previously coached at Carmel. “I told them, 'Let's change it,' and we stepped up and we did.

“They fight more now and they believe in themselves and they do the right things to invest in the team. They understand football is not an after-school hangout sport. It's a family and it's a thing you have to fight for every day.”

Antioch and Wauconda have controlled the North Lake County Conference for a while and that's not likely to change this year. It will be interesting to see if Round Lake can be competitive with the rest of the league and snap a 25-year playoff drought.

Here's a look at some other teams off to surprising 2-0 starts:

Elk Grove

Danny O'Donnell is another coach who returned to his alma mater. As a senior in 2004, he played on the last Elk Grove team coached by Bruce Bazsali, which finished 11-1.

Success has slowed in recent years, with just one playoff appearance since 2014. This is O'Donnell's fourth year on the job, so the current seniors were freshmen when he arrived.

“I've been very fortunate to have some senior leaders,” he said. “Also our junior class, ever since they showed up as freshman, they just lead. They're great kids. Teachers rave about them.”

O'Donnell tried something different during summer practices this year, keeping everyone together, from seniors to incoming freshmen. The idea was to ask the varsity players to be mentors, and pass along winning habits to the newcomers.

“I wanted kind of a big buddy type of thing, where the upperclassmen show them, 'Here's how we run our drills, here's how we go about our business, here is how we lift in the weight room,'” O'Donnell said.

Some senior leaders that have stood out are Luke Maher, Griffin Ewen, Eli Woehler and Ryan Gomez. Woehler had an interception and fumble recovery in last week's win over Leyden, while Gomez produced 98 receiving yards.

O'Donnell was actually named head coach at Morton High School in Cicero in 2022. But when the Elk Grove job opened up a few weeks later, he couldn't pass on the chance to return home.

“Elk Grove football is known for being a tough, gritty group where the playoffs are kind of expected,” he said. “That was my vision coming in.”

The MSL East will be a challenge. Hersey and Prospect are among the best teams in the Chicago area, while Buffalo Grove and Rolling Meadows should contend for the playoffs. But Elk Grove has played well so far.

St. Charles East

The Fighting Saints have two convincing wins, a solid number of junior contributors and are looking to snap a five-year playoff drought. The DuKane Conference is a killer, though.

Grayslake North

The Knights have been a consistent playoff team for a while, but dipped to 1-8 last year. They're off to a 2-0 start with a lineup dominated by juniors.

Mundelein

Mundelein (and Zion-Benton) starting 2-0 isn't necessarily a surprise. It's more that all the traditional powers in the North Suburban Conference are currently 0-2. The NSC race could be wide open.

Lisle

After playing a JV schedule last year due to low numbers, the Lions are plus-55 in scoring margin through two weeks.

Westmont

With an enrollment of 372 students, Westmont is playing an abbreviated five-game schedule this season. Since 18 of 26 players are freshmen or sophomores, 2-0 is a positive step.