Football rolls against the Hawks
Senior wide receiver Kyle Lewis races down the sideline during his 77-yard catch for a touchdown.
October 3, 2014
The boys football team was dominant in the homecoming game against the Hoffman Hawks on Sept. 26, winning 48-17 and improving their record to 4-1. The Vikings have been unstoppable as of late, putting up at least 40 points in three games of their four-game winning streak.
Head coach Lou Sponsel says that preparation will lead to success for the Vikings moving forward.
“Our kids are playing well right now and we are just getting better with our technique and execution,” Sponsel said. “The rest takes care of itself.”
The Vikings scored early and often on Hoffman. The team marched down the field in less than a minute on their opening drive, which was capped off by a 37-yard touchdown run by senior running back Darius Burchett, one of his two rushing touchdowns on the day. The Hawks immediately answered with a field goal on their opening drive, but the Vikings’ relentless play on both the offensive and defensive lines proved to be too much, as senior running back Jawan Gaines finished a 64-yard drive with a 28-yard rushing touchdown. A few possessions later, senior defensive back Ryan Haas blocked a punt, which was then picked up by senior Patrick McMahon and returned for a touchdown to make the score 20-3 with 2:36 left in the first quarter.
Junior quarterback Cordell Finely, who led the offense to two quick scores early and split time with senior quarterback Nick Bossong, who threw for three touchdowns on only eight passes, recognized the sense of camaraderie that benefits the team, in spite of competition amongst themselves.
“I am not worried about Nick being in, and he is not worried about me being in,” Finley said. “We both care for each other and have each other’s back.”
Everything went the way of the Vikes in the first half. Even on the rare occasion Fremd made a mistake, the team was able to turn the broken play into something positive. On a botched snap with 11:45 to play in the second quarter, Bossong managed to recover and complete a pass to senior wide receiver Kyle Lewis, who then ran 77 yards for a score. The Vikings lead 41-3 at halftime.
McMahon recognized that the team’s dominant performance during the rout of the Hawks was due to execution on both sides of the ball.
“I have to credit our play to the coaching plan and everyone’s physicality,” McMahon said.
Following a slow third quarter in which they gave up 14 unanswered points, the Vikings stopped the bleeding and crushed any possibility of a Hoffman comeback with a 91-yard touchdown reception by senior running back Cody Patenaude to make the score 48-17.
Sponsel is satisfied with the way the Vikings have responded following their tough week one loss to Lake Zurich.
“The kids are liking it and having fun,” Sponsel said. “When you are playing good, smart football, that is all you can ask for.”
The Vikings look to keep their momentum from their four-game winning streak as they take on the Schaumburg Saxons in a Mid-Suburban League conference showdown on Oct. 2 at 6:00 p.m.
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