Football: Week 2 MVPs
Senior running back Joey Rhattigan of Neuqua Valley and junior defensive back Sam Franckowiak of Dundee-Crown have earned the Daily Herald’s offensive and defensive MVP awards for their performances in Week 2 of the high school football season.
Rhattigan’s 261 yards rushing and 3 TDs helped Neuqua Valley top Naperville Central and start the season 2-0 for the first time in the program’s history. Franckowiak’s 2 interceptions were key in Dundee-Crown’s victory at Streamwood.
Offensive MVP
Joey Rhattigan, Neuqua Valley: Helping the Wildcats get off to a 2-0 start for the first time in their 15-year program history, Rhattigan ran for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 41-28 victory over Naperville Central. A 6-foot, 200-pound senior back, No. 36 opened the scoring with a 54-yard run. He added touchdown runs of 6 and 46 yards to key a sweep of District 203 teams.
Offensive runners-up
Aaron Everson, Bartlett: This tailback was a point generator in Bartlett’s 49-7 victory over Elgin at Memorial Field. The 6-foot, 200-pound senior rushed 23 times for 269 yards and 5 touchdowns. Also the Hawks’ place-kicker, Everson went 7-for-7 on point-after attempts for a single-game total of 37 points scored.
AJ Fish, Grayslake North: The Fish story keeps getting better. The senior and three-year starting varsity quarterback, who will play lacrosse at Virginia, scored a school-record 6 touchdowns in the Knights’ 55-13 win over Round Lake. He rushed 16 times for 180 yards and was also effective throwing the ball, completing 9 of 15 throws for 149 yards, as the Knights earned their first win.
Alex Nawrot, Palatine: Injuries have depleted Palatine’s attack but Nawrot has helped make sure the Pirates’ offense stays productive. In Palatine’s 42-7 win at BG, the senior showed his versatility by scoring touchdowns on 2 of his 3 carries and also hauling in 9 passes from Ethan Olles for 120 yards and 2 more scores.
Anthony Scaccia, Batavia: Topping 300 yards of total offense for a second straight week, the 5-foot-7, 150-pound junior running back was a force on the ground and as a receiver in the Bulldogs’ 30-14 nonconference win over Plainfield East. Scaccia ran for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns and caught 7 passes for 109 yards. He added 13 yards of kickoff returns for good measure.
Defensive MVP
Sam Franckowiak, Dundee-Crown: This junior defensive back was in the right place twice for the Chargers in a 27-7 victory against Streamwood at Millennium Field. Franckowiak picked off a pair of passes. His first interception stopped a Streamwood drive and helped keep the game scoreless at halftime. His third-quarter pick at he D-C 35-yard line set the stage for a 40-yard touchdown pass that put the Chargers ahead 13-0.
Defensive runners-up
Kishan Patel, Elk Grove: Elk Grove’s defense has allowed only 6 points this season, and a big part of that equation has been Patel. In the Grenadiers’ shutout of Hoffman Estates, the senior defensive back picked off a pass, forced a fumble and also recovered another fumble.
Mario Rodriguez, Glenbard North: Rodriguez made a momentum-changing play in the second quarter of Glenbard North’s 31-16 nonconference win over Carmel. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior linebacker picked off a pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. Rodriguez also forced a fumble and tallied a team-high 15 tackles, including 9 solos.
Izzy Rosa, Aurora Central Catholic: With the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Rosa on the defensive line, that’s where the buck often stopped in ACC’s 42-12 out-of-state win at Oostburg (Wis.). At defensive tackle the three-year starter made 12 tackles, 4 of them for lost yardage. Rosa also charged through the line to sack the Oostburg quarterback 2 times.
Billy Sullivan, Grant: Ranked No. 1 academically in his class, the junior has been tops on the Bulldogs’ defense, too. A two-year varsity starter, his safety got Grant going in its 31-14 win over Grayslake Central. The outside linebacker was active all night, coach Kurt Rous said, as Sullivan “set the edge and forced the ball carrier to cut back inside many, many times.”