Amid all the hoopla, WWS Tigers stay focused

It's difficult to say which was harder for Wheaton Warrenville South's football team - surviving a showdown with Maine South or surviving the hype-filled week leading up to Friday's game.

While Nike events dominated the days leading up to the Tigers' 44-7 victory, the ESPNU live national telecast took center stage Friday. Among the various web sites and other outlets seeking promotion at the stadium, Mike Ditka and Bears tight end Greg Olsen also took in the atmosphere at Red Grange Field as the ESPNU crew broadcast from a newly-installed scaffolding above the visitor's bleachers and numerous cameras rose from various vantage points.

Even the WW South staff got into the act as head girls basketball coach Rob Kroehnke served as the "Red Hat" to signal the game officials at the end of television timeouts.

Despite the swirling distractions - including the promotional signage lining each end of the home sideline - the Tigers (2-0) kept their focus on the game. The moment, however, wasn't lost on the players.

"Our whole theme about the week was no fear and just embrace it," said Tigers running back Matt Rogers. "Just thrive off all the people who are here and all the energy."

Tigers coach Ron Muhitch also felt the importance of the moment as it related to the national respect level for Illinois football, and he took the opportunity to highlight his many playmakers. Late in the game he broke out a couple of trick plays including a hook-and-ladder that just missed working and a fake option play that resulted in a shovel pass from quarterback Reilly O'Toole to Titus Davis for a 16-yard touchdown.

"I'm just really happy that we could play well with that kind of expectation in that kind of arena," Muhitch said. "It was special because our kids played well under the limelight."

Happy homecoming: Michael Panico couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic Friday night.

The shifty and speedy Carmel running back made another good memory at the Libertyville football stadium. With a game-high 159 rushing yards (on 9 carries) and 2 touchdowns, he led the Corsairs to a resounding 55-27 victory over the Wildcats in a neighborhood rivalry game that brings out thousands of fans every year.

Not all that long ago, Panico's loyalties pointed in the other direction. A Libertyville resident, Panico was one of the Wildcats' biggest fans when his older brother Santino starred for them in the early 2000s.

Santino, also a running back and also shifty and speedy, was a captain on Libertyville's first team that went downstate in 2003. The Wildcats finished as the Class 7A runner-up, a prelude to their state title the next season.

Michael says his father gave him the choice to go to Libertyville or Carmel and he said he wanted to try Carmel.

"There was a lot of crazy stuff going on in this game for me," said Panico, who is just a junior and was about 9 years old when his brother played at Libertyville. "I was always in the stands here watching my brother playing on this field. Now, I'm playing on this field. It was a great feeling. It was (emotional)."

Paving the way: With four three-year starters at the skill positions, Kaneland has plenty of offensive firepower.

One key in giving those players - Joe Camiliere, Blake Serpa, Tyler Callaghan and Taylor Andrews - time to show their talent has been the play of an inexperienced offensive line. That unit opened holes for 205 rushing yards in a 40-12 win over Huntley on Friday that improved Kaneland to 2-0 for the first time since 2006.

Only right guard Ben Kovalick is a returning starter on Kaneland's offensive line that includes Ryan Noel, Nick Sharp, Sam Komel and freshman Alex Snyder.

"We've got some young kids up there and I thought we really put it together especially in the first half," Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly said. "I'm really happy with those guys."

Palatine follows early motto: Palatine definitely adhered to a familiar refrain from many coaches about the biggest improvements coming between the opener and Week 2.

The Pirates rebounded from a disappointing 28-21 loss at Lake Forest with a 28-12 win over defending Mid-Suburban East champion Rolling Meadows.

"We executed better in all phases of the game against a very good team," said Palatine coach Tyler Donnelly.

"Executing, executing, executing," said Palatine quarterback Cody Bobbit, who committed last week to play baseball at Heartland College. "That's what we had a tough time doing last week."

And one area the Pirates were tougher in was the running game where senior workhorse tailback Jim Smearman had 122 yards on 28 carries. Smearman also ran some plays out of the Wildcat formation, played middle linebacker and played special teams.

"I was most impressed with what we had in the running game," Donnelly said.

Lally injury update: Marmion starting running back/linebacker T.J. Lally broke his left hand in Friday's 13-6 win at Mundelein.

The returning Suburban Christian Conference Player of the Year will have his hand in a cast until Thursday before getting it fitted for a club. That will allow him to continue playing defense, including the Cadets' Week 3 game against St. Francis, but Lally won't run the ball for several weeks.

Near-perfect DVC: The DuPage Valley capped another impressive nonconference season, coming just shy of a perfect 16-0 record in the first two weeks. After going 8-0 in Week 1, the DVC posted a 6-2 record on Friday. Naperville Central and West Chicago were the only teams to lose, but they fell by a combined margin of only 9 points.

Not a Little record: Senior running back Shepard Little set the Schaumburg single-game rushing record Friday with 331 yards against Buffalo Grove. Jason Hawkins rushed for 317 yards for the 1999 Class 6A state runner-up and Chris Macchione rushed for 308 yards in 1994.

Little had rushed for 575 yards in two games.

Double threat: South Elgin has demonstrated its offensive versatility in victories over St. Charles North and defending Class 4A champion Metamora.

In a 52-13 win over the North Stars in the season opener, the Storm did the most damage via the run behind senior Brad Birchfield (119 yards) and junior Adolfo Pacheco's school record 233 yards rushing.

It was a different story Saturday afternoon in a 49-26 win over Metamora, when senior quarterback John Menken threw for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns. The all-around athlete also scrambled for scoring runs of 81 and 60 yards, plays made possible by alert downfield blocking from receivers like Domico Failla and Kenny Lowden.

"That's a credit to receivers doing their job," South Elgin coach Dale Schabert said. "They're playing when they don't have the ball in their hands and that's hard to do. Everyone likes to play football when the ball's in their hands, but to see them block and do that part of their job was just outstanding."

• Daily Herald Sports Writers Kevin Schmit, Patricia Babcock McGraw, John Lemon, Jerry Fitzpatrick and Marty Maciaszek contributed to this report.