Addison Trail puts it all together

Addison Trail clicked on all cylinders in each phase of the game after a slow first-quarter start on its way to a 22-7 victory against Glenbard South on Saturday in Addison.

The nonconference game began Friday night but was suspended late in the first quarter due to lightning. It resumed Saturday night.

Just before the delay, Blazers running back Malik Pierre-Louis broke off a 76-yard run that got them into Raiders territory near the end of the first quarter. All he needed was one more push, as he capped off the drive with a 3-yard plunge into the end zone to give the Blazers a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The offense hummed along like a well-oiled machine after that, gouging the Raiders defense for big gains on multiple occasions.

Junior two-way player Jake Atiyeh, a running back and linebacker, turned in a consistent performance on both sides of the ball, being involved in almost every play and even coming up with an interception late in the game. Blazers coach Paul Parpet Jr. praised his guys on an all-around team effort.

"I told the boys that it was a great team win, team effort," Parpet said. "Offense, defense, special teams I thought all played well. It was a great team effort and a great team win."

Atiyeh had a busy night on offense in the second half, taking advantage of a gap in the Raiders defense, which led to quick plays and allowed the Blazers to control the tempo of the game.

"We just took advantage of the defense they were playing; it was nothing magic, it was just something available for us in the second half," Parpet said.

The Blazers made big plays all night, particularly in the third quarter when they forced Raiders punter Jose Hernandez out of his own end zone for a safety to put the Blazers up 22-7.

Wideout Jaavion Bradley, who was an integral part of the Blazers' success last season, did not play much of a part in the offense. The ball was spread out all over the field by senior quarterback Mike Rybarcyz, and Bradley echoed the sentiment of his coach and emphasized the team effort.

"We were very proud because we were able to move the ball, and whether it was running or passing it, we were able to do pretty much whatever we wanted," Bradley said.