It’s safe to say that Lake Zurich has been on a roll.
The Bears have outscored their last three opponents by a margin of 120-21, which has included two second-half running clocks.
“Everything is starting to click. Everything is working now,” said Lake Zurich junior running back Joey Stutzman, who has propelled the offense with 1,275 yards rushing and 20 total touchdowns this season. “We’re playing low. Playing fast. We’re mean.”
Lake Zurich opened the Class 7A playoffs on Friday with a 40-0 home victory against Machesney Park Harlem. Stutzman had 123 yards on the ground with touchdown runs of eight and 22 yards. Junior linebacker Jack Sanborn scored on a 40-yard fake punt, while the defense held Harlem to minus-13 yards of offense. The Bears (8-2) also had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
But Sanborn cautioned against overconfidence.
“It’s going to get tougher and tougher down the road,” he said.
That road continues Saturday at Triton College in River Grove, where No. 13-seeded Lake Zurich will face fourth-seeded Fenwick. The Friars (9-1) won the Catholic League Green, with their lone loss coming to defending Class 8A state champion Loyola.
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Fenwick has won five straight games and has outscored its opponents by nearly 22 points per game. The Friars won their first-round matchup against Rockton Hononegah 31-10 by pulling away in the second half.
Thus, Saturday’s game will be a contest between two powerful teams on an impressive run.
“This is certainly going to be a big challenge,” Lake Zurich coach Dave Proffitt said. “But when you reach the second round of the playoffs, it’s supposed to be that way.”
Proffitt described Fenwick’s offense as a diverse attack with multiple sets, from pro style to pistol formation. That will be a change of pace from previous teams on Lake Zurich’s schedule.
Proffitt added that the Friars’ defense is fast. That’s similar to the Bears’ defense, which flies to the ball. Against Harlem, there were times when seven or eight Lake Zurich defenders were in on a tackle.
“If everyone does their job like we’ve been doing (the last three games), then we’re going to be a hard team to beat,” Stutzman said.
Junior Darren Hill fractured his arm against Harlem and is out for the Fenwick game, but Proffitt did not rule him out for the season. Proffitt said his status for future rounds is uncertain.
Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press