Fremd football (7-1) entered last Friday’s “Battle of the Tracks” matchup against Palatine (4-4) on a mission.
After a 23-7 loss to Barrington the previous week—played without senior quarterback Johnny O’Brien—the Vikings were eager to bounce back. They also hadn’t beaten their crosstown rival since 2019, most recently falling short last season after a late goal-line fumble.
This year, the script flipped. Fremd came out on top, 23-13, earning a much-needed win after last week’s setback. For senior defensive lineman Niko Ahlman, the victory meant more than just improving their record; it was a sign of the extra dedication that went into the matchup.
“There’s a different atmosphere going into it,” Ahlman said. “Practice was different; the intensity was there a lot more. It’s just a whole other level of a game, because it’s them.”
For an offense averaging nearly 35 points per game entering the night, it was a relatively low-scoring contest. The teams traded touchdowns and missed extra points in the first quarter, and Jayden Faulkner’s 15-yard rushing touchdown—his second of the night—early in the second quarter marked the final score of the half.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Fremd led 16-13 but was pinned at its own 1-yard line. Palatine’s defense needed a stop to stay alive, but head coach Lou Sponsel trusted his team’s composure.
“You have to have that championship-team mentality that we can drive the ball 99 yards under pressure and go out and execute,” Sponsel said. “Because we will be there in the playoffs.”
Within minutes, the Vikings offense drove to the Palatine 8-yard line after a string of first downs—including multiple fourth-down conversions. O’Brien found senior receiver and defensive back Marquan Brewster in the back of the end zone, but Brewster was ruled out of bounds on what would have been a touchdown. On the very next play, Sponsel saw the same one-on-one matchup and went right back to his senior playmaker.
“[Brewster] said, ‘I need one. I need one. Give me a play off.’ Sponsel said. ‘I said, Marquan, you gotta go here. You’re gonna go win the game on this play.’”
Brewster broke free on a corner route and caught the game-sealing touchdown, ending Fremd’s five-year drought against its rival.
“You want to be the one team in town that keeps that trophy,” Sponsel said. “We hadn’t beaten them since 2019, so to end that drought was huge—because that trophy’s staying over here. We’re not giving it back.”
The Vikings now look towards Schaumburg (3-4) this week, which should be an easier matchup as they near playoff season. They currently sit 2nd in the conference behind Barrington (7-1) and might jump back to the top with a Broncos’ loss.
