The Riverside-Brookfield High School football team collected three turnovers on fumbles, two by Marques Turner and another from Giovanny Gonzalez. Two contributed to the Bulldogs’ three touchdowns. But host Wauconda quickly regained the momentum after each score and prevailed 35-21 on Sept. 2.
“We knew we were going to have to play a great game. We just made little mistakes,” RBHS coach Sam Styler said. “It was kind of indicative of the week we had in practice. Until we start doing little things right, it’s not going to end well for us.”
Trailing 14-0, the Bulldogs (1-1) began finding their offensive rhythm after Turner’s recovery at the Wauconda 19. Quarterback Diego Gutierrez scored on a 6-yard run 23.8 seconds before halftime.
Following a 36-yard bomb by quarterback Logan Olsen to receiver Brock Pfeiffer reached the 32, Wauconda scored two plays later on the final play of the first half for a 21-7 lead.
Pfeiffer caught the ball between two defenders and extended it across the end zone plane, although unable to get there himself.
After Gutierrez’s 1-yard touchdown run on the last play of the third quarter to close to 21-14, Wauconda struck again. On its first play from scrimmage, Connor Vanselow (173 rushing yards, 149 in second half) broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run.
When RBHS answered with 5:53 left on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Gutierrez to Iggy Bielobradek, Vanselow scored his third touchdown on an 18-yard run with 3:02 left.
“We were in it until the end. We kind of let them off the hook for a while,” Styler said.
Gutierrez passed for 112 yards with Bielobradek making four catches for 64 yards. David Valencia had 19 rushes for 90 yards taking the workload instead of Ryan Novak, who started at linebacker but played sparingly in the backfield. Novak’s ankle injury was aggravated during the Bulldogs’ first scoring drive after catching a 9-yard swing pass to the 6.
Leading tacklers included Drew Swiatek, Anthony Petrucci, Devontae Givens and Gonzalez. Dillon Coen and Luke Kumskis had tackles for loss. Jakub Buska, Nate Padilla and Jackson Drumheller had pass breakups.
LTHS blanks Addison Trail
Senior middle linebacker Danny Pasko and his Lyons Township High School football teammates wanted a better defensive performance on Sept. 2.
The Lions got it in shutting out Addison Trail 45-0 and held the host Blazers to 55 passing yards and six rushing yards with nine tackles for loss after allowing 369 yards (345 passing) in the season-opening 38-35 win at Buffalo Grove.
“The D-line played really well. It’s easy for us linebackers to play well when the D-line [players are] taking up two gaps,” said Pasko, who was named the Lions’ Defensive Player of the Week after five tackles and a team-high three for loss totaling 14 yards.
“Week 1 we played terrible. We have to kind of remind everyone we’re a good defense and we’re going to show that again this week.”
The Lions, 2-0 for the first time since 2017, will try to beat rival Hinsdale Central (1-1) for the first time since 2013 in LTHS’ home and West Suburban Silver opener on Sept. 9.
“It’s always a real big game,” LTHS coach Jon Beutjer said.
Defensive Lineman of the Week Luke Wehling and Quinn Farnan also had five tackles against Addison Trail. Wehling had two tackles for losses of 17 yards and Jack Falls had four tackles, one for a 16-yard loss.
Quarterback Ryan Jackson was 12 for 16 passing for 226 yards, throwing the game’s first four touchdowns to Graham Smith (17 yards), Falls (14 yards), Travis Stamm (35 yards) and Offensive Player of the Game Nico Henley (21 yards). Smith caught four passes for 90 yards.
David Waight kicked a 27-yard field goal. Jacob Campbell and Dylan Rickman had 1- and 8-yard touchdown runs. Jack Cheney and Campbell rushed for 82 and 79 yards. Tyler Chambers was Offensive Lineman of the Week.
