Numbers add up quickly in Redhawks win
 

By Jim Salsbury

SUN CORRESPONDENT

  Sometimes statistics are a soothing balm to help you forget your troubles. Sometimes they are a boa constrictor of truth that squeezes the life out of you.

   Stevenson coach Bill Mize must have felt that way about his team's 37-14 home loss Friday to Naperville Central. After all, with its two touchdowns Stevenson improved its scoring production against Central by 200 percent compared with the last two crushing losses (The Redhawks had won by a combined 81-0 the past two seasons).

   It is little wonder that Mize was upbeat after the game.

   "We were in the game for the first half and came within three points and were on a scoring drive that would have changed the game around," he said.

   But it was then that the momentum fell, Mize said, and Stevenson running back Brian Shust agreed.

   "We had momentum and then made some really bad mistakes and got our butts kicked," Shust said.

   Naperville scored 13 points in five minutes, first by picking off a Patriots pass attempt and scoring on a four-play drive capped by a 36-yard pass from Phil Horvath to Dan Passarelli. The Redhawks followed by forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and scoring five plays later on a 17-yard run by Kyle Griffith.

   Stevenson went from dreams of taking a lead over Central for the first time in three years to the recurring nightmare of being hopelessly behind a champion team.

   "We knew what we had to do, and we kept the pressure on to force them into our game," Central linebacker Nick Ehrlich said.

   Consider these statistics. Stevenson quarterback Dan Sobolewski had one completion, for 5 yards, and that wasn't until the third quarter.

   "Our secondary kept us in the game," Naperville coach Joe Bunge said. "Our secondary played fairly well along with the turnovers. We set them up to run between the tackles."

   The Patriots, with the exception of a 50-yard run on the second play of the second half, gained more yards in the second half on penalties than it did in total yards running and passing.

   And it keeps going. Naperville had more plays in their first second-half drive than Stevenson had the entire second half. The longest run from scrimmage for Stevenson in the second half was 4 yards.

   Those are statistics that leave you breathless. Quite simply, Stevenson had nowhere to go.

   "We knew if we could force them between the tackles (we) would force them to pass and take advantage of our speed," linebacker Mike Lucas said.

   On offense, Horvath was methodical, directing an 80-yard drive in the first quarter and hitting Griffith in stride for a 68-yard pass play in the second quarter. A 40-yard drive set up a 22-yard field goal by Chris Szatko to end the first half.

   "I felt the pressure," Horvath said. "But the running game opened up the passes for me to hit."

   Horvath answered Stevenson's touchdown drive to open the half with a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive, culminating with Jason Paquette scoring his second touchdown on a 1-yard plunge. Five minutes and two turnovers later, Naperville had another pair of touchdowns and the game was clinched.

   All this added to momentum for next week's game, as Naperville Central opens DuPage Valley Conference play on the road against Wheaton Warrenville South — a team that has been known to put the ball in the air early and often. The Tigers were upset 17-13 by Waubonsie Valley on Friday.

   "We are looking forward to having another good game next week," defensive back Bob Siciliano said. "And we welcome the challenge. We play best in tough games."

 

Naperville Central 37, Stevenson 14 boxperiods2: Naperville Central 7 10 20 0 — 37 Stevenson 0 7 7 0 — 14 ag NC — Jason Paquette, 33-yard run (Chris Szatko kick). S — Brian Shust 3-yard run (Craig Giometti kick). NC — Kyle Griffith, 68-yard pass from Phil Horvath (Szatko kick). NC — Szatko, 22-yard field goal. S — Shust 2-yard run (Giometti kick). NC — Paquette, 1-yard run (Szatko kick). NC — Dan Passarelli, 36-yard pass from Horvath (Szatko kick). NC — Griffith, 17-yard run (kick failed).Team statistics NC S Comp-att-int 11-20-0 1-9-2 Yards passing 204 5 Rushes-yards 36-198 38-193 Total yards 402 198 Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-2 Penalties-yards 5-35 2-7 Individual statistics RUSHING: Naperville — Griffith 18-116, Paquette 9-62, Horvath 2-9, Passarelli 1-3, Joel Barenbrugge 3-2, Blake Jeffers 1-1, Rob Jewell 1-4, Zeb Miller 1-1. Stevenson — Anthony Guli 11-25, Bob Gianni 6-55, Shust 16-66, Matt McGrath 4-44, Dan Sobolewski 1-3. PASSING: Naperville — Horvath 7-11-0 204. Stevenson Sobolewski 1-9-2 5. RECEIVING: Naperville — Tyke Spencer 3-43, Passarelli 4-71, Griffith 2-78, Curt Benson 1-10, Paquette 1-2. Stevenson — Anthony DiJohn 1-5.
09/02/01