Rich Central linebacker Matthew Stuckey didn’t need to say a word to be heard loud and clear Friday night in the Olympians’ season opener against Stagg.
The hits Stuckey delivered were booming enough to be heard from stands. And with Rich Central’s deep and beefy defensive line going to work, Stuckey roamed free.
Stuckey acted as a catalyst for the game’s biggest collisions as Rich Central rolled to a 39-6 victory in Olympia Fields.
“I give credit to my defensive line for pressuring the quarterback,” said Stuckey, who had four tackles for a loss. “It allowed the gaps to open and the linebackers to fill the holes. I felt like I was flying around out there. All the linebackers were flying around.”
Rich Central (1-0) showed just as much range on offense.
Junior quarterback Jyran Mitchell kicked off the scoring on the opening drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Glen Abram. Mitchell added two rushing TDs on Central’s next two possessions.
“We already knew we had athletes and a game plan, and then our speed helped us out,” said Mitchell, a dual-threat quarterback who has two older brothers playing football in the collegiate ranks.
Mitchell finished 4-for-9 for 70 yards and added 53 yards on 12 carries.
Sophomore running back Sean Tyler was another game-changer. He ran 13 times for 111 yards, with a large portion of those coming on 50-yard TD to give Rich Central a 25-0 lead in the first quarter.
“We can’t simulate their speed, and that was really evident in the first quarter when they were running around us,” Stagg coach Mike Fahey said. “Our defensive guys rallied. They didn’t give up a touchdown after the first quarter, but you can’t spot someone 25 points.
“(Rich Central) has size and speed and a special quarterback.”
That speed was certainly on display late in the second quarter thanks to Khaliq Hammond. He fielded a punt, eluded a handful of defenders and raced 85 yards for a TD to put Rich Central up 32-0.
Stagg (0-1) never called it quits, though. Quarterback Kyle Neputy led a two-minute drive before half by finding Kobe Lyons, who pitched it to Mike Jennings for a TD to cap a successful hook-and-lateral as time expired.
But that was it for the offensive fireworks. The only score after halftime came from Stuckey, who read Neputy to the tune of a 50-yard interception return for a TD late in the fourth quarter.
“(Stuckey) flew around,” Rich Central coach Terrell Alexander said. “That was a very good performance from him and I hope he can keep it up week to week.”
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Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.