Hinsdale Central senior quarterback Michael Sessa was a model of efficiency and accuracy on offense while leading the Red Devils to five first-half touchdowns.
That was more than enough in a 43-0 rout of Downers Grove North in the West Suburban Silver opener on Friday, Sept. 11, in Hinsdale.
“He (Sessa) has been on fire lately,” Red Devils coach Dan Hartman said. “Last week against Downers South he played great and he played for a quarter and a half. And tonight he picked up where he left off.”
The Red Devils (3-0, 1-0) scored on five of their six first-half possessions and controlled the ball and the clock almost at will. The Trojans (2-1, 0-1) had no answer for Sessa and his West Coast offense as he picked them apart with short, quick passes to his receivers. He was 21 of 24 passing for 254 yards and three touchdowns.
“We came out real strong,” Sessa said. “The offensive line was giving me a lot of time and I was able to get the ball to our guys in the open spots against their defense.”
His favorite target was senior receiver Brad Huth, who had 11 catches and 127 yards in the first half. His receptions often came on timely third-down conversions or on plays that brought Hinsdale Central into the red zone.
The duo connected late in the first half on a 23-yard pass that put the Red Devils up 28-0.
There was a definite chemistry between the two in their precision timing.
“We’ve been playing together a long time and that makes things a lot easier,” Sessa said of Huth.
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Huth finished with 12 receptions for 135 yards and scored on a 2-point conversion early in the third.
Sessa, listed at 6-foot-7, towers over the rest of the team, but he moves with grace and efficiency and has solid footwork. Hartman credits his development in the offseason.
“He’s got a great arm and he matured a lot and he’s developed his body and put in the time both in the weight room and on the field. He does a great job leading the offense,” he said.
Friday was the 81st matchup between Hinsdale Central and Downers North for the Old Oaken Bucket. The Red Devils’ win is their ninth in a row over the Trojans. The Devils lead the series 47-31-3.
Senior wide receiver Kareem Muhammad had four receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard grab on a deep throw by junior backup quarterback Josh Bean that began the running clock.
Chris Vavra is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.