Oak Park-River Forest’s quest for its first unbeaten regular season in almost 70 years came to an end Friday, Oct. 9 in Oak Park.
In a battle of the unbeatens, the Huskies were unable to stop Glenbard West and its senior running back Sam Brodner from dominating time of possession as the vesting Hilltoppers pulled away 34-7 in the West Suburban Silver showdown.
The Huskies (6-1, 3-1) had to contend with not only a dominant Hilltoppers rushing attack, but a new quarterback. Senior Keegan Smith took over for injured junior quarterback Jeremy Hunt, who hurt his ankle late in the Week 6 win over York. Coach John Hoerster confirmed that Hunt is out for the season.
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“I was excited for the opportunity,” Smith said. “And I knew it was going to come down to me and making plays.”
Smith’s opening possession went very well as he effectively mixed passes and rushes. The drive culminated in a 10-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back Antonio Cannon to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead.
Smith had a few more chances in the first half to add points, but a combination of penalties and key stops by the Hilltoppers (7-0, 5-0) kept him from gaining any momentum. He finished 12-of-23 passing for 85 yards and had five carries for 23 yards.
“He had a great first half. He made some really smart plays and he did a good job leading the offense,” Huskies coach John Hoerster said.
Smith played credibly throughout, limited his mistakes and worked as a game manager for the Huskies’ offense. His opportunities to make a difference on the field were limited in the second half as the Hilltoppers’ offense wore down the Huskies and prevented a comeback.
“I want to get better and I know the coaches are going to lay out the game plan for us,” Smith said. “We know the next two games (against Lyons and Hinsdale Central) are going to be just as important as the one we had tonight. Can’t let what happened get us down.”
Game notes
*Huskies senior wide receiver Breshawn Wilkerson had five receptions for 51 yards and senior receiver Jamarri Watson had three receptions for 22 yards.
*The Huskies were able to make stops against the Hilltoppers early and were down 14-7 going into the third quarter, but Glenbard West unleashed Brodner, who had 118 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns. He also four receptions for 33 yards.
Chris Vavra is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.