To say Richards’ Dijon Newman was underwhelmed would be an understatement.
The senior quarterback was not in the mood for any bragging or taking a victory lap.
“First of all, I’m not satisfied — I’m sick to my stomach, still,” Newman said with a shrug afterward. “This isn’t it. We still have more to go. We have more to go from here.”
Newman got Richards going Friday night as the host Bulldogs opened the South Suburban Red portion of the schedule with a 23-20 victory over Eisenhower in Oak Lawn.
Newman threw for 121 yards and a touchdown to Shaun Reynolds and ran for 57 yards and another TD for Richards (1-2, 1-0), which snapped a two-game losing streak.
Myles Mitchell ran for 56 yards and a TD, while freshman running back La’Darrius Foster added 74 yards on 13 carries for the Bulldogs, who were outscored 76-14 in nonconference losses to Morgan Park and Libertyville.
Senior quarterback Nick Mayfield managed 132 yards on nine carries and completed 12 of 26 passes for 150 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury for Eisenhower (2-1, 0-1).
Senior receiver AJ Abrams, the conference’s player of the year in basketball last season, also hauled in five passes for 188 yards and two TDs for the Cardinals.
Although the 5-foot-11, 160-pound Newman didn’t put up monster numbers for Richards, he did get the job done.
“Hey, we have an athletic dual-threat quarterback,” Reynolds said. “He can do it all. He can throw the ball, and if you need a play, he can move out of the pocket and make the play.
“That’s what makes a good quarterback. You never know what you are going to get.”
Newman lives in Oak Lawn but was born in South Carolina. He has been playing quarterback as long as he can remember. That includes growing up with the Orland Park Pioneers.
“I like to have control,” Newman said of playing the position. “I like to tell people what they have to do. I just love it.”
Mayfield, meanwhile, ran for a 64-yard TD on the second offensive play Friday for Eisenhower.
The Cardinals, coming off wins over Noble Johnson and Thornridge by a combined score of 99-6, appeared to be enjoying a promising start. But the momentum didn’t last.
“It was a great high school football game, but we hurt ourselves making too many penalties, and that’s on me,” Eisenhower coach Sheamus Murphy said. “We hope Nick will be all right because he’s very, very explosive.”
Since the conference started in 2006, Richards has won 12 SSC Red titles and shared one. The Bulldogs went 6-0 in conference last season and 0-4 in nonconference games.
Reynolds, who played for the Blue Island Untouchables, knew Eisenhower wouldn’t be easy.
“Our goal was to go 7-0 the rest of the way and now it’s 6-0,” Reynolds said. “This was just one game. That’s a good team. I know some of them boys and played youth football with them. They’re good, but we came out and executed.”
And that’s something Richards coach Tony Sheehan wanted to see.
“We schedule tough games early in the year, and if we get punched in the mouth, we see if we will sink of swim,” he said. “D.J. (Newman) and really all of the guys showed they were ready to swim.”
Newman, who said he’s getting some college interest, is trying to build his resume this season to attract more attention. He’s not ready to give up football after high school.
“This sport brings me happiness,” he said. “I like how it distracts me from outside things. I truly love football. It’s like it’s attached to me, and I’m attached to it.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.