Carmel’s wait was well worth it.
A week after its season opener against Libertyville was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols, Carmel bounced back with a 26-14 road win against Lake Forest on Sept. 3.
“I’ve learned over the years how to prepare in a lot of different circumstances,” Carmel coach Jason McKie said. “We prepared well, and it’s always good to start out with a win.”
McKie, a former Chicago Bears player, lists Andy Reid, Bill Parcells and Lovie Smith as formative influences. He said he finds himself being molded as a coach by “bits and pieces” from his NFL career.
Carmel was cast as an underdog against the Scouts. The Corsairs, who made 12 straight playoff trips from 2000 to 2011, haven’t finished above .500 since 2014.
“I love that role,” McKie said. “Everybody, even in our building, was counting us out, saying that we’ll be the ‘same old Carmel.'”
Two seniors helped change that narrative. Jon Buckley had 184 yards receiving and three touchdowns, and halfback Gabe Lynch had 165 yards rushing.
There’s also sophomore quarterback Johnny Weber, who started two games as a freshman in the spring.
Don’t expect the Corsairs’ mentality to change. They will play Leo at home on Friday.
“One game doesn’t define a season,” McKie said. “Our opponent this week is ourselves.”
Bullish Bulldogs: Pitching consecutive shutouts to start the season has raised the bar considerably for Wauconda.
“It’s a nice feeling that if these guys are put in good spots, they’ll perform at a high level,” coach Dave Mills said. “If we can rely on the defense like this, the offense just has to manage itself.”
The Bulldogs’ 69-0 win against Proviso West in the season opener was their first shutout since Week 7 in 2016 and only the fourth in Mills’ 13 years as coach.
Wauconda linebackers Nick Bennett, Nick Smith, Collin Cheshire and Hunter Rathgeber are returning starters. Ryan Stephan is the anchor up front, and safety Colin Husko had two interceptions in Wauconda’s 20-0 road win against Riverside-Brookfield on Sept. 3.
Husko likes a lot of things about the defense but especially the group’s collective football IQ. His second interception against Riverside-Brookfield was a perfect example.
“I read the quarterback’s eyes and figured he was going deep to their No. 2 receiver, so I jumped the route,” Husko said. “Most of us believe that this group can carry us a long way.”
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Zee-Bees zip along: Zion-Benton has started 2-0 for the first time since 2015, outscoring Stagg and North Chicago by a combined score of 88-6.
“We haven’t experienced a lot of success, so to get a taste of it early is a plus,” said interim coach MacArthur White, a longtime assistant and Zion-Benton graduate. “We’ve always had talent. We’re trying to put all the other pieces together.”
Among those “other pieces” are unmeasurable traits like discipline and accountability. A message White and his staff have highlighted is that no one player is above the team.
Having a running back like senior La’Zarius Geater helps too. He eclipsed 1,000 yards in six games in the spring and had more than 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the opener, a 46-6 win against Stagg. Geater has a physically imposing offensive line in front of him.
The challenge ahead for the Zee-Bees is proving competitive in the rugged North Suburban Conference. Their next five opponents — starting Friday with Warren — are NSC teams they’ve beaten just three times in the past five years.
“We don’t want to be a pushover,” White said. “We want teams to respect us.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.