No stopping Rolling Meadows

About the only thing that can stop Rolling Meadows right now is, well … Rolling Meadows.

The Mustangs cruised to their fourth win (4-1) and a Mid-Suburban East opening victory Friday night, 41-0 at home over Wheeling. As impressive as their play has been in building their record, the Mustangs know their play can be a lot better.

“We know what we’re capable of,” said head coach Matt Mishler. “There’s a lot of things we’re not doing right,” although you might have been fooled watching them play against Wheeling.

Meadows racked up 467 total yards, well above their area second-place 395 average. Quarterback Jack Milas was almost flawless in going 17-of-25 for 214 and 3 TDs to Artie Checchin (51 yards), Ryan Gundersen (26 yards) and Tyler Bobowski (15 yards). The play-action and pump fake for Checchin was a game-breaker in the first period for Meadows and a backbreaker for Wheeling (1-4) as Meadows overcame three early penalties that could’ve been drive-killers and a turnover on a punt return.

The defense got that back immediately on Derek Heer’s one-handed interception on what looked like was going to be a Wheeling touchdown out of quarterback Tyler Brady’s hands. The Mustang defense limited Wheeling to 188 yards and 9 first downs. Brady was held to 6-of-23 with two picks and just 22 yards rushing.

Every time it looked like his swift feet might find an opening carved out by his injury-riddled offensive line, “It closed just as quickly,” said retiring head coach Dave Dunbar, who received a commemorative plaque before the game from Mishler, his former assistant.

“Matt’s a classy guy,” said an appreciative Dunbar.

So’s Matt’s team. The offense kept grinding down smaller, thinner Wheeling behind Kevin Puleo, Alexis Rojas, Matt Long, Nick Leidecker and Mark Schmid. But quarterback Milas, despite his impressive numbers, recognized as well that the team has areas for improvement.

“We start and finish strong. But we kind of ease up,” he noted of occasional intensity slippages.

Even Mishler acknowledged that the “surprise element” has probably worn off by now for his team’s performance in his first year at the helm. He even told his kids he was worried about Wheeling and some of their standout weapons, but his defense quickly allayed those concerns.

Gundersen added an interception and David Sobkowicz, Raul Alba-Cortez and Bobby Rundlett controlled the line of scrimmage.

If the team can work out its remaining wrinkles, then the future certainly looks bright. “They definitely have high goals, no doubt about it,” Mishler said of his players.

“If we keep doing what we do,” said Milas, responding to an inquiry about improvement, “we’re the only people who can stop us.”