Colin Gillespie cut up the middle for six yards on Benet’s first play.
The senior quarterback was just getting started.
“We had a great mix of the run and the pass,” Gillespie said. “It was great to see everything work out so well.”
Gillespie scored four touchdowns in the first half Friday night as the Redwings nullified Naperville North’s late rally for a 28-21 victory in Naperville.
Gillespie scored on TD runs of 6, 25 and 1 yard. He also connected with junior receiver August Mazza on a 40-yard TD pass for Benet (1-0).
Operating exclusively out of the shotgun, Gillespie dissected the Huskies’ defense. He rushed for 70 yards on 10 carries in the first half.
“Working out of the shotgun just gives me a little more space to work with,” he said.
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Gillespie ended with 85 yards on 14 carries. He also completed 6 of 14 passes for 80 yards with the TD.
Senior running back Sean Torres added 137 yards rushing on 20 carries. His back-to-back runs of 17 and 20 yards set up Gillespie’s final TD plunge.
Two-way standout Jacob Snell made spectacular plays on both sides of the ball. He also caught two passes for 29 yards.
At defensive end, he was part of a dominant unit that permitted only a single first down in the first half to keep Naperville North (0-1) at bay.
Benet’s defense registered five tackles for losses and held the Huskies’ rushing attack in the first half to nine carries for minus-29 yards.
A Miami of Ohio recruit, Snell finished with two sacks and three tackles for loss.
“We had a lot of fire coming out,” Snell said. “We’ve been working all summer for this game. We made sure we played hard and fast.”
The game was personal.
“I live in Naperville,” he said. “I know a lot of these guys.”
Senior wide receiver Matthew Maschmeier orchestrated Naperville North’s furious comeback by catching TD passes of 12 and 20 yards from senior quarterback Anthony Gabrione.
Maschmeier had six catches for 54 yards. He also ran for 20 yards on two carries and completed a 17-yard pass as Naperville North scored three touchdowns in the final 7:54.
Senior defensive back Michael Miranda aided the comeback with an interception and fumble recovery.
Gabrione finished 13 of 39 passing for 183 yards. He connected with junior Stephan Williams on an 11-yard TD with 1:25 remaining.
After the Huskies recovered their onside kick, Maschmeier made a leaping catch with 33.4 seconds in the back of the end zone.
Who else? Gillespie closed out the game by snaring the ensuing onside kick.
“We definitely made some mistakes,” Maschmeier said. “We dropped some passes and had some penalties. The fourth quarter really showed the heart and dedication we have as a team.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.