Cary-Grove tuning up for playoffs
Cary-Grove's Larkin Hanselmann is one of the Trojans' smaller players at 5-foot 7, 150 pounds, but his words after a 56-0 thumping over Dundee-Crown at Al Bohrer Field in Cary Friday night spoke volumes if anything about the Daily Herald's third-ranked team and the top-ranked team in Class 7A according to The Associated Press.
“We just keep getting better and better,” said the speedy senior WR/DB who had a 56-yard touchdown run and an interception. “Once we get it all right we're going to be hard to stop.”
He ain't kidding. They are scary words that may hardly get an argument in the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division as the Trojans (8-0, 4-0) clinched at least a share of the Valley title.
Or maybe the perfect word about C-G is balance which translates to unselfishness as the Trojans put up a season-high in points while recording their first shutout on defense in customary form.
The patented 3-3-5 defense allowed just 67 yards of total offense and 5 first downs. Zach McQuade also came away with interception while Alec Haglund secured a fumble. Stopping speedy Ball State-recruit Malik Dunner (11 carries, 13 yards) and Caleb Parson (4 carries, 20 yards) in the backfield was a task done easy by the pressure of Notre Dame-signee Trevor Ruhland, Michael Gomez and the one who seemed to spearhead it all, 5-11, 200-pound defensive end Ray Dimatteo (4 tackles).
“We really emphasize gang tackling, it's a huge part of our philosophy there I think that really helped us getting to those fast guys,” said Dimatteo. “We know Malik's a great player, (Parson), he's another good player. But that philosophy really keeps us going.”
Even Trojans coach Brad Seaburg got in on the defense.
“I don't get to watch as much of the defense as much as I do the offense,” he said. “It just seemed (D-C) couldn't get anything going tonight at all. They've got some good players, too. So to shut them out was outstanding, defensively.”
The Trojans, who never punted, racked up 459 yards of offense with 351 coming on the ground. Running back Tyler Pennington surpassed the 1,000 yard mark on his first carry, finishing with 91 yards on 9 rushes and 4 touchdowns — runs of 1, 18, 21 and 25 yards. Two went back-to-back carries that helped put Cary-Grove up 14-0 in the first 7 minutes.
“Personal stats don't really matter to me, it's all about what's on the scoreboard and if we get the W,” the sophomore Pennington said.
Hanselmann's scamper made it 21-0 just before the second quarter. Pennington's next score came with 6:55 left while quarterback Jason Gregoire, (4-for-7, 93 yards, 1 INT) found McQuade for a 35-yard touchdown catch just before the half for a 35-0 lead. Five Trojan rushers topped at least 54 yards, as Kevin Hughes, Matt Sutherland and J.P. Sullivan were in that mix. Gregoire also threw to 4 different receivers, including Hanselmann, Hughes and George Hartke (2 catches, 43 yards).
“They know there's not a predetermined guy who gets the ball typically,” Seaburg said. “So whoever gets the ball each and every play that's what we really emphasize and tell the kids. We're not trying to get touchdowns to a single guy, it's whoever happens to get the ball and you do get the ball, make the play. And we had a lot of guys who made plays.”
“They just play football the way it's supposed to be. They play hard and we're going to try to get our program like that, it's going to be a process but the guys fought hard,” D-C coach Mike Steinhaus said. “We had some things going on internally, we just had a tough week and our guys are going to be a family, we're going to stick together.”