Libertyville senior quarterback Blake Ellingson wanted a chance for redemption.
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In fact, Ellingson said all of the Wildcats’ seniors were thirsting for that opportunity after ending last season with a 47-6 loss to Nazareth in a Class 7A first-round playoff game. Libertyville (5-5) didn’t finish above .500 for the third straight season.
“How the season ended last year was not what anyone wanted,” Ellingson said. “As juniors at the time, we all came together and made it certain that we would come into our senior season being as prepared as ever.”
The Wildcats have won their first two games of the six-week season heading into a North Suburban Conference game at Lake Forest on Thursday.
“Being 2-0 feels amazing, especially since we weren’t sure if we would even have a season this year,” Ellingson said. “The biggest thing is our team chemistry. We’ve all come together over the past few months.”
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Ellingson, a Drake recruit, said he dealt with “a strange transition from basketball to football” due to the latter sport’s postponement from fall.
But he showed off his running prowess by scampering for 61 yards and two touchdowns in a 15-6 win against Lake Zurich on Friday.
Ellingson credited the steady play of the offensive line for opening up holes for the running attack to make the offense more two-dimensional.
“Football games are won upfront, and that’s a huge reason why we’re playing so well right now,” he said. “The run blocking and pass blocking by the offensive line has been outstanding and setting up our skill players to put points on the board.”
Warren’s “D” dominant again: Warren’s defense lost seven starters from the 2019 team that was the Class 8A state runner-up. That senior-led defense, headlined by linebacker Juan DelaCruz, defensive lineman Willis Singleton and safety Josh Turner, gave up just 27 points in the first three quarters of play in 14 games.
Although the Blue Devils picked up multiple talented transfers for this season, the defense was not expected to be as stout.
But Warren bottled up Stevenson in a 21-7 NSC win on Friday. The Patriots finished with minus-4 yards rushing and 38 yards passing.
The Blue Devils (2-0, 2-0), who will play at Waukegan on Thursday, had nine sacks and allowed just seven completed passes.
“It was definitely a great night statistically,” Warren senior defensive lineman Tommy Matheson said. “The key was we completely shut down the run.
“Our expectations haven’t changed from last season. The faces and roles in certain locations are the main differences. As a team, our main goal is to go 6-0 in the North Suburban Conference but also to maintain dominance in the conference for years to come.”
Mays shining: Senior defensive back/wide receiver Jamar Mays is one of the bright spots for North Chicago.
Mays, a guard on the basketball team, said he fully comprehends how fragile the short season is this spring. He’s focused on enjoying every snap while trying to lift the moral of his teammates. The Warhawks (0-2, 0-2), who lost 61-6 to Antioch in a Northern Lake County Conference game last week, will travel to Wauconda on Thursday.
“I go into every game like it’s my last, so I play hard until the last whistle,” Mays said. “I’m hoping to improve on getting out of my breaks faster at wideout and getting more tackles on defense. I also want my team to improve on just having fun and work as hard as we can and give it all we’ve got.”
North Chicago coach Wilton Hill Jr. said his program has been decimated by roster turnover and the lack of practices, but Mays is proving to be a good leader.
“Jamar Mays is having a pretty good season,” Hill said. “He plays with a lot of passion. He’s been a strength for us. We have to find ways to get him the ball and keep him focused on task. He’s had solid two games so far.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
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