Gonzalez’s debut a winner for Wheeling

Juan Gonzalez had his football debut placed squarely on his left foot.

The Wheeling senior had never played an organized game before Friday night. And the ex-soccer player was now staring at goal posts 20 yards away with 6½ seconds left and visiting Mundelein leading the nonconference opener by 2 points.

But everything from Tim Shover’s snap to Jack Anderson’s hold to Gonzalez’s booming kick into the wind was perfect to send Wheeling players, coaches and fans into a frenzy with a 23-22 victory.

“Juan’s money and we put a lot of pressure on him in the summer,” said Wheeling senior quarterback Mike Yoshino after engineering the final drive from his 8 with five minutes to play.

“I don’t know much about football,” Gonzalez said with a smile. “But I know to kick it through the uprights.

“I was nervous at the beginning and at halftime but the coaches talked me up and I managed to pick myself up after that. Not missing it wasn’t in my mind.”

Gonzalez’s game-winner epitomized what new Wheeling coach Brent Pearlman has emphasized in the program-building process. Gonzalez badly missed a second-quarter extra point and struggled with his kickoffs as his team also had to overcome a safety en route to a 15-0 deficit.

But Gonzalez had plenty of leg on the extra point that got the Wildcats within 22-20 after sophomore Isaac Branch (19 carries, 134 yards) capped a 92-yard drive with a 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 3:41 left in the third.

“I thought the amount of adversity we worked with in the offseason really paid off,” Pearlman said. “Tonight was a great example of how they were willing to absorb that message.”

This was also a big test for a Mundelein program looking to rebound from a winless season under new coach George Kaider. Freshman quarterback Gavin Graves clearly passed by hitting 18 of 30 attempts for 173 yards and an 11-yard touchdown to Chance Lindsey (9 catches, 117 yards).

“(Graves) was pretty impressive,” Kaider said. “He delivered the ball as well as any varsity quarterback I’ve seen. He’s a leader and the kids responded to him.”

After a 1-yard touchdown run by Nick DiVito, Wheeling responded with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Yoshino (149 yards passing, 64 rushing) to Noah Ihde and Yoshino’s 5-yard touchdown run.

A 92-yard run by Emanuel Jones (17 carries, 141 yards) put Mundelein up 22-13 just 1:37 into the second half. Lindsey’s juggling interception stopped a potential go-ahead drive early in the fourth quarter.

But Sam Yoshino’s interception at his 15 gave Wheeling a final shot with 5:05 left. Mike Yoshino completed all 4 of his passes on the drive and a 34-yarder down the right side to his brother Sam put the ball at the Mundelein 12 and in range for Gonzalez’s heroics four plays later.

“Football this summer was extremely tough, physically, mentally and emotionally,” Mike Yoshino said. “That’s the payoff right there.”