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Lake Zurich handles Mundelein for first win

A little trickery helped lead to a different outcome for Lake Zurich after a rough couple of weeks starting the spring football season.

The Bears decided to use a trick play on their first play from scrimmage as Illinois State-bound running back Jack Dwyer threw a 47-yard halfback option pass to Leo Dlatt.

Then, Dwyer scored four plays later on a 4-yard rushing touchdown.

Lake Zurich rolled from there with a 23-0 shutout over visiting Mundelein in a North Suburban Conference game on Thursday night.

Dwyer (26 carries, 152 yards, 2 TDs) hasn't thrown a pass since freshman year.

"The coach (Ron Planz) wanted to do that on the opening play of the game," Dwyer said. "I didn't believe him at first. I was ready for it and it was awesome. I actually kind of lost (Dlatt), but then I saw him again. That was really cool and a fun way to open the game.

"It was a huge confidence booster, because our offense has struggled a little bit. To come out and throw that pass off the bat was just a confidence builder."

Lake Zurich (1-2) switched between two quarterbacks, Jarred Myers and Tyler Kamins, and that seemed to bring a bit more consistency from the first two weeks.

Jack Rigby added a 29-yard field with 2:24 left in the second quarter for a Bears lead of 10-0 at halftime.

The Bears got two more scores in the final quarter, Kyle Schneider caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Myers and Dwyer added another rushing TD from 4 yards.

"You play the games to win," Planz said. "We're just thankful to play and just to line up out there. We do want to win. That's our goal and that's what we practice for. That's what the kids want and that's what we want as coaches and that's what the community wants and expects. At the end of the day, we can't lose sight that we almost didn't have this season."

Mundelein (0-3) has played three tough opponents on its schedule so far and the Mustangs have been in each of the games so far.

"Lake Zurich was a good football team," Mundelein coach Vince DeFrancesco said. "We did know that going in. A lot of people were looking at their record knowing that they were 0-2. We knew that they were a good football team and we're a good football team. We started the year off with three very good teams.

"We're very close and we just didn't execute. Still, proud of the kids' effort and attitude. Lake Zurich had a very good defense and they've always had a good defense. That's something that Lake Zurich football has been good at for a long time."

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