After losing last year’s Upstate Eight Conference East Division championship at Glenbard East on a 47-yard field goal as time expired, the Riverside Brookfield High School football team had atonement on its mind Friday.
“Last year was a really tough loss and it really got to us in the playoff game (a first-round loss),” said RBHS senior quarterback Braeden “Bubba” Novak. “I trusted the team and I knew we were going to come out and get a win tonight.”
Buoyed by a punishing ground attack spearheaded by Novak and senior receiver Nico Caputo, the Bulldogs indeed got the job done, defeating the visiting Rams 38-28 to secure at least a share of the UEC East title.
“It was huge,” RBHS coach Sam Styler said. “To come out here after last year’s loss, our guys knew there was a lot to play for, and they came out and executed.”
The Bulldogs (7-1, 5-0 UEC East) took a 24-7 halftime lead en route to their seventh straight victory. They can achieve their first outright conference title since 2009 with a win at Glenbard South (5-3, 4-1) in the regular-season finale.
Glenbard East (5-3, 5-1) won last year’s meeting 45-43 after the Bulldogs took a 43-42 lead with 15.1 seconds.
“That game still keeps me up at night,” Caputo said. “It was a horrible way to end the (regular) season.”
The Bulldogs rewrote history fast on the game’s opening drive as a 69-yard by Novak set up Caputo’s 4-yard touchdown run on the next play. Following a three-and-out defensively, the Bulldogs went downfield on eight plays to score on a 12-yard pass from Novak to Caputo.
“Our offensive line did a phenomenal job. They really kept us in the game and carried us forward,” said Caputo, who collected 110 yards on 15 carries and 81 yards on six receptions.
Glenbard East got back into the game immediately. Receiver Malachi Miller took a handoff from quarterback Carter Pohlman, went right and found an open Mason Wright for a 47-yard score.
The Bulldogs added a pair of second-quarter scores on a 27-yard field goal from Henry Jurgens and a 1-yard keeper from Novak 19 seconds before halftime.
On the first play of the third quarter, Pohlman connected with Miller for a 68-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs then faced a third-and-14 situation at their 25, but Novak found Caputo for a clutch 27-yard reception and a first down. Novak then used a blend of running and passing to guide the Bulldogs down the field and capped off the drive with another 1-yard keeper.
Novak was 11 of 16 passing for 183 yards and had 21 carries for 133 yards.
“Bubba was great all night,” Caputo said. “He was hitting his receivers and running all over the place. He played really hard and smart.”
Novak rolled right and hit Caputo for a fourth-down 21-yard TD pass with 6:46 left that provided some breathing room at 38-21.
After the Rams closed to within 10 with 5:27 to go and were driving again, RBHS linebacker Brandon Ruiz stripped the ball and Jayden Lee recovered to seal the victory. Other defensive leaders included Dean Mauban (7 total tackles) and Bryan Rimpila (5 total tackles).
RBHS rushed for 295 yards and never punted. Like Caputo, Styler and Novak credited the offensive line – center Felix Sanchez, guards Daniel Anparan and Ryan Kubitz, and tackles Joaquin Jara and Charlie Jicha.
“They’ve been doing that all year,” Styler said. “Our offensive line is one of the best in the area and what they were able to do tonight, control the clock and establish the run game, was phenomenal. They’re the backbone of this team and they did a (great) job.”
“Our offensive line all year has been blocking very good for the run game, which I appreciate a lot,” Novak said. “They’re also protecting when I’m dropping back for passes and giving me time.”
LTHS football
The Lyons Township football team got the better of West Suburban Conference Silver Division frontrunner Downers Grove North in the second half Friday, but by then the deficit was too much. The visiting Lions lost 17-10 after regrouping from a 17-0 halftime hole that included losing a fumble near the goal line just before halftime.
“We understand DGN is a great football team, but what we can take is to try not to make simple mistakes like in the first half,” said LTHS senior running back EJ Kuhlman, who rushed for 87 yards with a 5-yard TD run in the third quarter.
“We shot ourselves in the foot a ton. In the second half, we cleaned it up and impacted some scores.”
The Lions (6-2, 3-2 in Silver), ranked No. 8 in Class 8A in last week’s Illinois media poll, had been tied for first in conference with the Trojans (7-1, 5-1), No. 6 in 7A, who clinched at least a title share. Their regular-season finale is at York (5-3, 3-2), which has beaten the Trojans and Glenbard West (5-3, 3-2) the past two weeks.
Kuhlman’s score with 2:10 left in the third quarter was the only one of three drives that got inside the 10 and yielded a touchdown. Wolfie Ketterling converted a 22-yard field goal with 7:11 remaining. Quarterback Brendan McCabe was 9 for 15 passing for 105 yards. Tyler Stamm had two catches for 58 yards.
Defensive leaders included Cole Harris (8 tackles), Nate Fitzgerald (6 tackles, 1 for loss) and Gavin Bunnell and Jamison Miller (5 tackles each). Jack Lee had an interception.
“(Our defense) really put us in a great spot in that second half. What we needed was a shutout and that’s what they gave us,” Kuhlman said.
“We can’t really blame that all on that (lost fumble). We had other chances and an opportunity to win. We just didn’t execute.”