Redhawks struggle, still win in a rout 

from staff reports - Sun Publications

September 3, 2000
They stumbled, fumbled and bumbled just long enough to prompt shadows of a doubt about their top billing and early claim on another state title. Naperville Central didn't look much like a defending state champion — let alone the No. 1 team in Illinois — after a quarter of football Friday night. Against Stevenson in the Redhawks home opener, Central engineered a sharp opening drive then went into a funk the likes of which not even George Clinton could have appreciated. Take away their five-play opening series, and the first-quarter tally for the Redhawks looked like this: three sacks allowed, two fumbles, one dropped pass and minus 17 total yards. Central's best play during that span? A booming, 53-yard punt off the leg of Kyle Adams. 

Apparently even juggernauts have off-nights. And that's the rub: Central went on to bludgeon the Pirates 40-0 behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Owen Daniels and two scores and 175 total yards from running back Kyle Griffith. If the Redhawks didn't bring their "A" game against the Pirates, what happens to the poor saps who get to play them when they do?  "I think they threw a little something different at us than we were looking at all week," Daniels said. "We tried to adjust to it, but it took a couple of series to do that."

Central's defense was similarly out of sync early on. The Redhawks (2-0) lucked out when the Pirates dropped a pass in the first quarter that should
have gone for a touchdown, and Central was back on its heels again early in the second when Stevenson drove 70 yards to the Central 5-yard line. 
But that was the last anyone saw of the visiting team's offense Friday night. On four plays, the Redhawks defense dropped the Pirates for a 2-yard loss and forced three straight incomplete passes. The stop was a sucker punch to the stomach: Stevenson gained a grand total of 58 yards over the next two-plus quarters and finished with 128 total yards for the game. "We got a couple yards gained on us, and we were back at the goal line," said Redhawks defensive lineman Chris Hill, who had one and a half sacks and forced a fumble. "It was a stellar performance by our goal-line team. They just sucked it up and got it done. It was perfect, exactly what we needed."

Central scored four plays later, on a run-of-the mill out pattern that Tyke Spencer turned into a 61-yard, highlight-reel scoring play. The pass from
Daniels was part of a 20-point, second-quarter barrage that drained the fight from the Pirates (1-1). "We had our chances early — the one time when we were open and dropped it and I wish we could have scored when it was 14-0 and we were going in on our drive," Pirates coach Bill Mitz said. "But they have a great defense, and they stepped up and made the plays. We've got some things we've got to improve on if we're going to play with teams of this caliber."

Griffith broke a 70-yard touchdown run on the Redhawks' first play of the second half, and the rout was officially under way. Over most of the final 24 minutes Central's front four got up close and personal with Pirates quarterback Joseph Sobolewski, who was sacked four times in the second half. Kyle Schucler's 2-yard touchdown plunge with 3:29 left cranked the score to 40-0 and mercifully started the running clock. "I think we did good," linebacker Ryan Amberson said. "But we can still get better."

Scary, isn't it?

NAPERVILLE CENTRAL 40, STEVENSON 0 Stevenson 0 0 0 0 -- 0 Naperville C. 7 20 7 6 -- 40 NC - Matt Yellin, 13-yard pass from Owen Daniels (Kyle Adams kick). NC - Kyle Griffith, 38-yard run (Adams kick). NC - Tyke Spencer, 61-yard pass from Daniels (kick failed). NC - Kevin Noel, 6-yard pass from Daniels (Adams kick). NC - Griffith, 70-yard run (Adams kick). NC - Kyle Schucler, 2-yard run (kick failed).Team statistics S NC First downs 10 6 Comp-att-int 4-14-0 9-12-0 Yards passing 8 172 Rushes-yards 37-142 28-175 Total yards 136 347 Fumbles-lost 6-2 2-1 Penalties-yards 0 6-40 Individual statistics RUSHING: Stevenson — Mark Paskvan 21-103, Nickolas Gil 2-15, Daniel Gitlin 2-13, Brian Shust 8-7, Anthony Guli 2-3, Joseph Sobolewski 2-1. Naperville Central — Griffith 8-141, John Sladek 6-37, Dan Koziol 1-8, Spencer Palmer 4-7, Yellin 1-3, Schucler 1-2, Daniels 7-(-23). PASSING: Stevenson -- Sobolewski 5-14-0 8. Naperville Central — Daniels 9-12-172 0. RECEIVING: Stevenson — Shust 2-5, Evan Witkowski 1-6, Carlo Santucci 1-(-3). Naperville Central -- Spencer 2-106, Griffith 2-34, Yellin 2-16, Noel 2-10, Dan Prazak 1-6.