Clark, Lakes run away with one
There was no hiding the running ability of running back Direll Clark on Thursday night.
Clark carried 30 times for 260 yards and led the Eagles' offense in a big way as Lakes flew past host Wauconda 33-13 in a North Suburban Prairie Division game.
"I've never had a night like this before," said Clark, who had 1 touchdown run from 8 yards and also had a 56-yard run on the opening drive. He finished with 200 yards in the first half.
"It's fun to get the crowd going and the rest of the team pumped up," Clark said. ""I know I can get the 5-yard gains, I and like to bust it up to 30 yards, or bust it all the way. It was the holes everybody was getting off the ball like we've done in practice. We just dominated on the line. I give all the credit to the offensive line."
The Eagles (5-2, 3-1) scored the game's first 23 points.
"We set the goal that we wanted to run the football," Lakes coach Luke Mertens said. "You need to run the football in this league if you're going to win.
"We knew about their quarterback (Brandon Rowe), and their offense is very dynamic. We wanted to run the ball and keep them off the field. We came out fired up and ready to go. Glad to get out of the gates quickly."
Eagles quarterback Chris Hoffman capped the opening drive with a 5-yard TD run. Lakes kicker Tanner Blain followed up with a 32-yard field goal.
Ashton Norwood (14 carries, 90 yards) scampered into the end zone from the 1, and Clark gave the Eagles a 23-0 advantage on an 8-yard run with 6:37 left in the second quarter.
Rowe (5 of 15, 183 yards, 2 INTs) hooked up with Eric Fuller on a 55-yard pass completion late in the second quarter. Then David Starkey rushed for a 5-yard touchdown with 3:14 left, leaving Wauconda (2-5, 1-4) down 23-6.
Blain added another 32-yard field goal with no time left for a 26-6 Eagles lead at the break.
In the second half, Fuller (3 receptions, 121 yards) caught an 18-yard TD pass from Rowe for the other Bulldogs score.
Justin Bergeron added a Lakes score with a 6-yard TD catch from Chris Hoffman.
"Give credit to Lakes, they came out and ran the ball all night long," Wauconda coach Dave Mills said. "Clark had a tremendous night. (The Lakes) offensive line created some nice holes and ran right through them.
"When you're down by 23, it's hard to play from behind. We started pressing after that."
Elk Grove 24, Prospect 21: There were plenty of tears on the Elk Grove sideline after the Grens' Mid-Suburban East football game at Prospect's George Gattas Memorial Stadium Thursday, but they were tears of joy.
Dejan Basara, recovering from a broken collar bone and cleared to play in a non-contact role by the doctors on Wednesday, drilled a 38-yard field goal with 1:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, giving the Grens a 24-21 victory.
But the defense had to survive a desperate drive that took the Knights (2-1, 3-4) from their own 32 yard line to the Elk Grove 8 before time ran out, leaving the Grens (3-0, 6-1) alone at the top of the East.
A short punt gave Elk Grove possession at the Prospect 35 with 3:13 left remaining, and the Grens methodically moved into field goal range, while Prospect used its timeouts to preserve the clock for its last shot.
Basara's kick easily had the distance, leaving it up to the defense to hold on for the win.
"I didn't want to make it bigger than it was," Basara said. "I made a lot of them in practice.
"I got cleared (Wednesday). It was my only practice," Basara said. "I got in at least 20 kicks.
"I'll be ready when they clear me for contact," he said. "It feels great to be back."
"I had to make a decision," Elk Grove coach Brian Doll said. "He was cleared by the doctor and trainer, but I had to feel comfortable putting him in there.
"When he came out to practice, the team went nuts."
Stefan Skoneczka (20 carries for 85 yards) twice scored touchdowns that brought the Grens from behind to either tie or lead.
Larry Weindruch