Rogers enjoys big night through the air, leads Wheaton Warrenville South over St. Charles East
Final score: Wheaton Warrenville South 38, St. Charles East 7
Records: Both teams are 2-1. The Tigers won their first DuKane Conference game, while the Fighting Saints lost their conference opener.
Player of the game: AJ Rogers threw for three touchdowns while completing 16 of 23 passes for 316 yards. By Wheaton Warrenville South’s final possession in the middle of the fourth quarter, he was watching from the sidelines.
Other statistical leaders: Wheaton Warrenville South juniors Blake Ittersagan and Steven Harvey had four receptions apiece with respective yard totals of 114 and 76. Pacing the ground game was Trent Simpson with 84 yards on 16 carries. St. Charles East’s Cruz Herrera threw for one score and 86 yards on 9-of-20 passing. Tyler Bradley caught six passes for 60 yards.
Turning point: On the Tigers’ second possession, Rogers found Ittersagan for a 48-yard reception, setting up a 2-yard touchdown run for Clark Jensen, a linebacker continuing his newfound role as power back from when Simpson was injured the week before.
First-half highlights: Wheaton Warrenville South scored touchdowns on its first two possessions: Jacob Bellows had a 30-yard reception, and Jensen had his score immediately after. Although a short punt in the second quarter set the Tigers in St. Charles East territory, a holding penalty wiped out an Ittersagan touchdown. They ended up settling for a Drew Maletich 37-yard field goal, then Ittersagan scored on the first play of the next possession on a 46-yard pass from Rogers. The Saints got on the board with 27 seconds left when Herrera hit Bradley from 29 yards out after the Tigers were called for unsportsmanlike conduct on the previous play.
Second-half highlights: Wheaton Warrenville South recaptured the momentum it gave up right before halftime with a 93-yard drive that culminated in a 4-yard touchdown run by Malaki Thomas on only his fifth carry. St. Charles East got some life defensively early in the fourth quarter when Aiden Coyne intercepted Rogers on a deep throw near the end zone, but the offense promptly went three-and-out. Rogers threw his final touchdown pass to Mason Bachara.
X-factor: Herrera might have some nightmares about Tigers defensive lineman Chris Riggs. Riggs had three of the Tigers’ five sacks for a combined 29 yards lost. His two first-half sacks were particularly timely as they came after the Saints got their initial first down and on a fourth-down conversion attempt.
Quotes: “We really do take it one week at a time,” said Wheaton Warrenville South coach Sean Norris. “And every challenge is a different challenge in the conference. I think their preparation day in and day out will continue to be high.”
“We’re a third of the way done with the regular season,” St. Charles East coach Nolan Possey said. “We’re 2-1, so now, we’re gonna really find out who we are after battling some adversity here.”