While it might have been impressive that Zion-Benton put 56 points on the board Friday night at Mundelein, what was more impressive was how the Zee-Bees did it.
Senior DeAndre Green, listed as a quarterback, wide receiver and safety in the program, rushed for two touchdowns and returned a fumble for a third. Alternating quarterback Joseph Powell threw two touchdown passes as Zion, which stumbled in a loss to Vernon Hills in Week 2, rebounded in a big way by winning 56-21 in a North Suburban opener.
Does this kind of comeback show how potentially dangerous this Zion team can be?
“It can, but we just need to concentrate on getting better every week and do what we do,” said Green, who finished with 109 yards rushing on four carries. “This was a big step up from last week. We had good practices all week.”
“I’ve said from the beginning we’ve got nine serious weapons on offense. Whoever steps up can make a difference,” Z-B coach Bob Moynihan said. “Sometimes our kids get a little full of themselves. Just a little bit. They found out last week they couldn’t just walk into Vernon Hills and win. You can’t fall backwards. And I think we made a big step today.”
The Zee-Bees (2-1, 1-0) pounded Mundelein early, racking up 404 of their 514 total offensive yards in the first half in building a 43-7 halftime edge. The defense got things started the ball rolling when safety Tyler Creamer picked off an Anthony Norris short pass and returned it 67 yards through traffic for a score.
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Zion scored on its next five possessions, several times in spectacular fashion. Green had a 63-yard score on the first play of Zion’s second offensive possession and Terrance Brister extended the lead to 21-0 with an 8-yard touchdown run with five seconds left in the first quarter.
Two plays into the next possession, Green again rushed for a long score, this time for 45 yards and a 28-0 Zion lead.
The host Mustangs (1-2, 0-1) briefly rebounded, with Norris (10-for-22, 233 yards) hitting a wide-open Sabian Rivera for a 70-yard score on the next play to get Mundelein on the boad.
But it was all Zion the rest of the way as Jordan Chisum capped the Zee-Bee’s longest drive of the half with a 1-yard plunge and a 35-7 edge. The Zion defense came through once again, stopping Mundelein on fourth-and-3 with less than two minutes remaining and the offense made the Mustangs pay.. Four plays after the stop, Joseph Powell (7-for-10, 142 yards) hit younger brother Payton over the middle for a 66-yard score just seconds before the half.
Aaron Woolford added a 15-yard touchdown run and a 91-yard kickoff return for the Mustangs in the second half. Zion countered with a 46-yard run from Green after he snatched an option pitch out of the air. The Powell-to-Powell connection ended the game’s scoring with a 34-yard touchdown pass in the game’s final five minutes.
“That’s a very good, physical team. We expected a dog fight but they were more physical than we thought,” Mundelein coach Larry Calhoun said. “Our depth has always been our issue. It’s going to improve in the coming years, but we’re still a skeleton crew. We’ve got to try and get healthy and get back on track.”
Phil English is a freelance writer for the News-Sun.