Week 8 recap: How Chicagoland high school football teams fared

Here’s how Chicagoland high school football teams fared in Week 8 of play.

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Lincoln-Way East 40, Lockport 0

Jacob Onik grew up admiring a series of star defensive ends at Lincoln-Way East, including a trio of standouts who went on to play in the Big Ten — Devin O’Rourke and Gage LaDere at Northwestern and Jacob Alexander at Illinois.

Onik knows that, compared to those high school stars, he’s not the prototypical defensive lineman. He played linebacker last season before transitioning to defensive end this fall as a senior.

But he sure has the knowledge to play the position after studying those past Griffins.

Onik delivered another dominant performance. He had two of Lincoln-Way East’s four sacks as the Griffins harassed Lockport quarterback Griffin Russell all night on their way to clinching the SouthWest Suburban Conference title with a 40-0 win over the host Porters. Read more here.

Batavia 34, St. Charles East 14

On a team with three Division I recruits at receiver, Batavia senior Darin Ashiru has separated himself from the pack, at least statistically.

The Western Michigan recruit has emerged this season as the top target for Wyoming-bound senior quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren in the Bulldogs’ high-powered offense.

“I’m doing pretty well,” Ashiru said. “I’m excited about how I’m playing. All the goals I set for myself; it looks like I’m going to achieve them. I’m really happy about that.”

That happiness continued for Ashiru and Co.

He wasn’t able to break of any of his usual big gains but was still Batavia’s top target with 10 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown in a 34-14 DuKane Conference win at St. Charles East. Read more here.

Richards 35, Shepard 14

When Richards junior Isaiah Flowers was 5 years old, he broke his right arm. That was painful. But it created an upside that turned out to be conducive for future gains.

“I started catching the ball with my left hand,” Flowers said, recalling the memory. “That’s when I knew I was going to be special. I knew I was going to be a star.”

He caught two passes for 66 yards and a touchdown at receiver. He had a 22-yard run late in the third quarter to set up a game-tying TD as a running back. And then as a cornerback, he recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a 70-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

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If that wasn’t enough, Flower made some big returns on special teams to give Richards good field position in a 35-14 South Suburban Red win over host Shepard in Palos Heights. Read more here.

Libertyville 14, Lake Zurich 10

It had not been the best of nights for Libertyville junior quarterback Jackson Yarc.

Sustained drives and chunk plays were few and far between as the Wildcats went toe-to-toe with Lake Zurich for sole possession of first place in the North Suburban Conference, and Yarc was even relegated to the bench for a drive in the second half.

Forgettable, right? But Yarc won’t forget what happened late in the fourth quarter anytime soon.

Sent back on the field with 3:13 left, Yarc proceeded to lead an 84-yard drive, and his 7-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Graham Sondalle with 19 seconds to go secured the Wildcats’ 14-10 victory. Read more here.

Marist 28, St. Laurence 15

Junior receiver JJ Nash understands the expectations and pressure of his name at Marist.

Nash’s father, Jeremy, ranks among the best athletes in school history, earning eight varsity letters across three sports. His son carries that with him, but it hasn’t turned into a burden.

JJ Nash was a rousing success for the RedHawks.

He set up the opening touchdown with a 9-yard catch and then grabbed a pass for a TD to spark Marist to a 28-14 win over host St. Laurence in a Catholic League crossover in Burbank. Read more here.

Naperville North 14, Neuqua Valley 7

Naperville North junior left guard Craig Prentice had never touched the football during a game, which is not surprising considering offensive linemen rarely get their mitts on it. But he was prepared against host Neuqua Valley, and the result was truly shocking.

With the game tied and time running out, Naperville North senior quarterback Dante Colasante rolled to his left and threw a pass intended for junior wide receiver Shawn Kyereh. What happened next will be etched in everyone’s memories — except Prentice’s.

Don’t ask Prentice what he did next. “I don’t even remember what really happened,” he said. “It’s kind of like a blur.”

To the astonishment of onlookers, Prentice raced up the sideline for a 29-yard gain before he was tackled at Neuqua Valley’s 14-yard line.

Two plays later, junior running back Charlie Neumann scored on an 8-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left, giving the Huskies a 14-7 victory that clinched the DuPage Valley Conference title. Read more here

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Crown Point 47, Chesterton 6

Crown Point junior Max Gurnic simply wants to contribute.

Offense, defense, special teams, it doesn’t really matter all that much to the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Gurnic, who was the Bulldogs’ leading rusher last season.

Gurnic particularly helped on special teams and offense against visiting Chesterton after spending most of his time on defense this season. The highlight was his 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ dominating 47-6 victory, which clinched a share of their fifth straight Duneland Athletic Conference title. Read more here.