By Dan Wiederer
STAFF WRITER
Posted on October 29, 2000
No one knows for sure what those plays will be.
"It could be the first play of the game. It could be the last play of the game. It could be any play in between," Bunge said.
What the longtime Redhawks coach wanted his players to understand was that any one of them could turn the tide of the game on any play. So Bunge was demanding nothing less than maximum effort all the time.
After Central's 36-6 pounding of Palatine Fremd in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs Friday night, Bunge might want to do some recalculating. Three big plays don't do justice to a Redhawks squad that thoroughly dominated its opponent.
Heck, three big plays isn't even enough to summarize the contributions of Central senior Kyle Adams.
The Redhawks' first big play came on the game's opening kickoff, when Fremd's Brian Duncan fumbled the ball and Central's John Sladek recovered at the Vikings 20. Central's offense picked up only 2 yards on the ensuing possession, but Sladek's recovery set up a 35-yard Adams field goal that put the Redhawks ahead to stay less than 2 minutes into the game.
Big play No. 2: After regaining possession at its own 7-yard line, Central relied on Kyle Griffith to advance the ball from the shadows of the goal post. Then, on a first-down play from the 20, senior quarterback Phil Horvath hit Adams over the middle. The senior tight end broke a pair of tackles and rambled down the left sideline for 65 yards. Five plays later, he booted a 29-yard field goal, giving Central a 6-0 lead.
Big play No. 3: Griffith's 23-yard run at the end of the first quarter moved Central into the red zone again. This time, Adams nailed a 35-yard field goal, his third 3-pointer of the night for a 9-0 lead.
Big play No. 4: Leading 16-6 late in the first half, the Redhawks needed one more offensive highlight to demoralize the visiting Vikings. Senior wide receiver Kevin Noel provided the proverbial dagger with 40 seconds left in the half, carting in a perfect 5-yard fade pass from Horvath to give the Redhawks a 23-6 halftime lead.
Big play No. 5: Horvath's 1-yard touchdown run with 7:46 left in the third quarter wasn't exactly the highlight reel material Dan Patrick looks for on "SportsCenter," but it was a fitting culmination to the Redhawks' opening possession of the second half. Behind Griffith and fullback Matt Yellin, Central stuffed the ball down Fremd's throat, marching 62 yards on 11 plays.
With the game in hand, Central's defense did what it does best — kept Fremd off the scoreboard. In the final 24 minutes, the Vikings managed just four first downs and failed to cross midfield.
"I think we're back in that dominating mentality," senior linebacker Drew Kocsis said. "We just need to get back to where we were earlier in the season, doing our jobs. If we're doing our jobs, no one can get anything on us."
Central's offense is certainly doing its job. The Redhawks dissected Fremd for 390 total yards, thanks to a strong push upfront.
While last year's offensive line was considered the key to the state champions' success, this season's bunch — Josh Gaeth, Jeremiah Zigterman, Chris Arges, Tom Rainey and Joe Hickok — is jelling into a pretty dominating unit itself.
"Those hogs up front were looking great," Kocsis said. "They were pushing those guys off the ball."
"Our offensive line makes the whole offense," Adams said. "They've been working hard all season, and they're giving us the holes and making time for Phil to hit his receivers."
Griffith gained 151 yards on 18 carries. Horvath completed 11 of 19 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown. Adams finished the night with 108 yards receiving.
"I recognized that I was open a few times," Adams said. "And Phil's a great quarterback and was able to put it right on my hands. I took what I could get with it."
After a couple of late-season scares, the Redhawks were happy to again enjoy that comfortable fourth-quarter cushion that allows the starters to rest.
"It feels really good to get one of these games," Kocsis said. "It's a real confidence booster. It feels good to play this type of game because people are doubting us. People are picking other teams to win state even though we're the No. 1 seed. As the defending champs, it's nice to make a statement like this."
The Redhawks will play their second-round matchup this weekend against New Trier, which defeated Loyola 23-21, in the second round. The day and time of the game will be announced later this week.
Contact Dan Wiederer at (630) 416-5287 or dan.wiederer@copleypress.com.
BY THE NUMBERSnumber:3 Senior kicker Kyle Adams kicked a career-high three field goals, all in the first half, for Central. Adams made kicks of 35, 29 and 35 yards to help the Redhawks grab a 23-6 halftime lead. number:108 Adams also led the Redhawks in receiving Friday, hauling in three passes for 108 yards. Senior quarterback Phil Horvath completed 11 passes for 167 yards. number:16 Yards of Fremd's only scoring drive. The Vikings scored on a 2-yard run by Joseph Klein, five plays after recovering Tyke Spencer's fumble on a punt return. number:24 Consecutive wins for the Redhawks. Central, which advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years, needs four wins for a second consecutive state title.
NAPERVILLE CENTRAL 36, FREMD 6 Fremd 0 6 0 0 -- 6 Naperville Central 6 17 6 7 -- 36 NC - Kyle Adams, 35-yard field goal. NC - Adams, 29-yard field goal. NC - Adams, 35-yard field goal. NC - Phil Horvath, 1-yard run (Adams kick). F - Joseph Klein, 2-yard run (pass failed). NC - Kevin Noel, 5-yard pass from Horvath (Adams kick). NC - Horvath, 1-yard run (kick failed). NC - Kyle Griffith, 25-yard run (Adams kick).
Team statistics FR NC First downs 8 13 Comp-att-int 10-23-1 11-19-1 Yards passing 99 167 Rushes-yards 31-54 40-223 Total yards 153 390 Fumbles-lost 3-1 2-2 Penalties-yards 0-0 6-51 Individual statistics
RUSHING: Fremd — Tim Donatucci 19-67, Joseph Klein 6-12, Brian Duncan 1-(-3), Matt Zielinski 1-(-4), Steven LaFalce 4-(-18). Naperville Central -- Griffith 18-151, Matt Yellin 10-56, John Sladek 4-7, Kyle Schueler 1-6, Spencer Palmer 1-4, Horvath 6-(-1). PASSING: Fremd — LaFalce 10-23-1 99. Naperville Central -- Horvath 11-19-1 167.
RECEIVING: Fremd — David Koeneman 4-43, Brandon Igyarto 3-32, Donatucci 2-19, Matt Thompson 1-5. Naperville Central — Adams 3-108, Noel 3-21, Tyke Spencer 2-12, Griffith 1-12, Yellin 1-8, Dan Prazak 1-6.
10/29/00