Crump, Warren outrun Libertyville

Two of the fastest and most exciting players in the North Suburban Conference were on display Friday night at Warren, and neither disappointed.

Warren running back Darrius Crump, all 5-foot-8 of him, dashed around the field for 200-plus yards in leading the Blue Devils to a 43-26 victory over previously undefeated Libertyville. He would scoot through holes in the blink of an eye. And on his best run of the night, a 50-yard touchdown, he out-maneuvered and out-ran everyone as he streaked down the sideline.

Meanwhile, Libertyville quarterback Riley Lees often showcased his fancy footwork, leaving defenders in the dust with spin moves and cutbacks. One of his four touchdowns drew more oohs and ahhs than usual when he went airborne and jumped over the entire line to reach the end zone.

"We've got a pretty dynamic player in (Crump) and Lees is every bit as dynamic if not the most dynamic player in the conference," Warren coach Bryan McNulty said. "A lot of people compare him to Johnny Manziel, and I can see that. He's the kind of player that will keep you up at night."

But it was Crump who turned the evening into a nightmare for Libertyville (3-1, 1-1 NSC Lake).

He was a workhorse for Warren, which is now 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the NSC Lake. He rolled up 222 yards on 21 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. His 50-yard score less than two minutes into the second half broke the game open and gave Warren a 31-19 lead.

"It was very hard to stop him," Libertyville defensive end Ben Kimpler said of Crump. "He used his size to his advantage. We all had to get very low on him and he's a very strong, physical runner who likes to run north-south. He is so explosive, he hits the hole hard. He sticks his head down, so it's hard to get a full wrap around him."

After Crump's touchdown to begin the third quarter, Libertyville fumbled away the ensuing kick-off and Warren immediately started another drive from the Libertyville 25-yard line.

Four plays later, junior running back VaShaun Wright scored on a 1-yard run, and the Blue Devils (up 37-19 at that point) were smelling blood.

"We were so up for this game. We kept talking about how we were going to end Libertyville's (winning) streak right here at our place," Crump said. "I give my props to the line. They did an awesome job today. And our defense played great out there. They did their job, and also kick-off did their job."

Both teams were active in the first half, scoring 6 touchdowns and a field goal between them. Lees reached the end zone three times before halftime, and Warren got 2 touchdowns on passes from quarterback Jay Nickell (113 yards passing) to wide receiver Caleb Reams.

Warren took a 25-19 lead into the locker room.

The Warren defense clamped down in the second half and kept Libertyville out of the end zone until just 2:49 remained in the game. Lees (167 yards rushing, 93 yards passing) capped the Wildcats' final drive with a 1-yard run.

Libertyville had 3 turnovers (the fumble on the kick-off and 2 interceptions) in the second half alone.

"You can't make that many mistakes in a half and expect to be there in the end," Libertyville coach Mike Jones said. "Our mistakes in the second half didn't help the situation. It made it difficult and (the guys) were deflated and that's kind of disappointing. But in a way, I kind of want the guys to go through the adversity now and learn from it."