Before the North Suburban Conference game between Lake Zurich and visiting Warren on Friday, Lake Zurich coach David Proffitt lamented his team’s inability to click in all phases in the same game.
Sure, the Bears were entering the contest 3-1 and hadn’t lost in conference, but Proffitt was hoping his team could put it all together.
His wish came true, as Lake Zurich started fast with two first-quarter touchdowns and then finished strong in a 35-6 victory against the Blue Devils.
“We finally finished off a game as a team,” Proffitt said. “We hadn’t done that this year, but the kids grasped it and played four quarters.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Bears were led by junior quarterback Evan Lewandowski, who completed 10 of 15 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the scoring with a 19-yard toss to junior Jack Sanborn and added a 10-yarder to senior Alex Miller on a fake field-goal attempt.
“It’s hard to jump to the varsity level,” Miller said about his quarterback. “And he’s been doing just great. The offense is really clicking now. We’re starting to roll.”
The Bears also displayed a dynamic running attack, as junior Joey Stutzman carried the ball 26 times for 157 yards, including touchdown runs of 77 and 1 yard. On the former score, Stutzman broke through at the line of scrimmage and demonstrated his speed by racing past the Warren defense.
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Lake Zurich’s defense was stout throughout the contest, tackling Warren ball carriers nine times behind the line of scrimmage. The Bears (4-1, 3-0) forced three turnovers, with Miller recording a juggling interception, while Ryan McGeever had a fumble recovery and Matthijs Enters added an interception.
Despite all the turnovers, Warren was able to move the ball in a two-quarterback rotation. Senior quarterback Luke Schmitt (5-for-11, 109 yards) threw a 17-yard strike to senior Brandon Ryczek in the end zone to pull the Blue Devils to within 14-6, though Lake Zurich blocked the extra point. Junior quarterback Ian Schilling was 8-for-20 for 183 yards, as Warren totaled 292 yards through the air.
Warren (1-4, 1-2) showed its versatility, as six different Blue Devils receivers caught passes. They were led by senior Jalin Tolbert, who snared four passes for 112 yards, including an over-the-shoulder grab for 31 yards.
“If they score like that, you’ve got to score,” Warren coach Bryan McNulty said of his team’s ability to move the ball but proclivity for turnovers. “You have to put the ball in the end zone when you’re in their territory a lot. They’re tough. When you give them that many chances you’re going to get burned.”
Although Warren moved the ball vertically, they were not able to establish a running game and were limited to 38 yards rushing. Lake Zurich had three sacks and harassed both Blue Devils quarterbacks throughout the contest.
“That’s a real tribute to the kids’ heart. That old saying in football, they bent but they didn’t break,” Proffitt said about his defensive players. “It was a very good win for us.”
Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for News-Sun.