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player ready...Junior running back Gabe Guarderas accounted for Leyden’s only touchdown on a 3-yard run in the second quarter of the Eagles’ 35-7 loss at Downers North on Friday.
Guarderas did not match the production he had in Week 1, when he rushed for three touchdowns during a 42-9 victory at Fenton, but he has been the Eagles’ best offensive option.
“He has been a little bit of a surprise, but not completely,” Leyden coach Tom Cerasani said. “When he runs the ball he definitely stands out.”
One of the main reasons Guarderas has found success is he’s run behind 6-feet-4, 305-pound left tackle Carlos Castillo, the only senior starter on the offensive line.
“He (Castillo) is playing like a monster,” Cerasani said. “He is kind of like a gentle giant, but once he is on the football field, he flips the switch.”
IC Catholic
The Knights had rattled off 18 straight regular-season wins before falling to St. Laurence 26-23 on Friday in Elmhurst.
Despite senior quarterback Luke Ricobene leaving in the second quarter with an injury, the Knights (1-1) still had a 23-13 second-half lead before the Vikings scored 13 consecutive points in the fourth quarter.
“We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game, we made a couple of mistakes that really hurt us,” IC Catholic coach Bill Krefft said. “Momentum had changed at that point for a number of reasons, so we were not surprised by their finish.”
Junior Khalil Saunders already had four receptions at receiver, and came in at quarterback when Ricobene left the game. He also had six tackles from his defensive back spot.
“Khalil came in and did an outstanding job. I cannot say enough about how he played,” Krefft said. “He was a warrior on both sides of the ball, and on special teams. He barely came off the field.”
Glenbrook North
The good news for the Spartans is that they have won their first two games, but Glenbrook North coach Bob Pieper thinks his team can still get better.
The Spartans defeated Grant 24-14 on Friday in Fox Lake.
“We did not play very well, to be quite honest,” Pieper said. “Our defense played well. They kept us in it, gave us great field position. We had too many mistakes. We had some penalties that killed some drives.”
Junior Ben Kieffer and senior Justin Navarro each made the first interception of their varsity careers against Grant. Both returned their picks for over 30 yards to give the offense good field position.
The interceptions were a welcome development after Glenbrook North did not have any in a 13-8 victory over Wheeling in Week 1.
“We work on turnover drills every week,” Pieper said. “Justin (Navarro) is an inside linebacker. He just did a really nice drop on one of the routes, and picked it off.”
Deerfield
Quarterback Ryan Nagelbach was given his first opportunity to start a varsity game against Grayslake Central, and the Deerfield sophomore seized the opportunity.
On Friday, Nagelbach guided the Warriors (1-1) to a 35-7 victory over the Rams.
Nagelbach replaced senior starter Jonah Silverglade when he left the Warriors’ 14-8 loss to Lakes in Week 1 with an injury.
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“He had to step in for Jonah in the Lakes game, and he took us down to the goal line,” Deerfield coach Steve Winiecki said. “We had a shot at winning that game, he showed tremendous poise. With a full week of practice, he got in and made all the right decisions.”
Deerfield’s defense also made things difficult for the Rams, forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions. Junior Ethan Schwartz picked off a pass that was tipped by senior Ari Nadler and returned it for a touchdown.
“We have only given up three touchdowns in two games, and we are kind of irritated about it,” Winiecki said.
Patrick Kelly is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press