Fremd turns back Elk Grove
Fremd's Alex Johnson, not James Walsh, returned an interception for a touchdown.
New turf field and a 3-touchdown performance from Alabi Azeez wasn't enough for the Elk Grove football team to pull out an upset Friday night against Fremd in a Mid-Suburban League divisional crossover.
The Grenadiers fell behind 31-6 but rallied back to get within 3 points in the fourth quarter before falling 45-28.
"I am not too upset," Azeez said, "because we fought our butts off and every week we are making strides. My O-line is making strides, the receivers are making strides making catches. It is a team. We are going to get there as the season goes on."
With the Vikings' back to the wall, Kenny Lyke responded with a late touchdown and Alex Johnson returned an interception for a touchdown to help Fremd nail down the victory. Fremd is now 2-0 for the first time since 2009, when the team went undefeated in the regular season.
Lyke had 177 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground and also had a 23-yard touchdown reception from Tom Josten to lead the Vikings. Charlie Kaye scored twice, while rushing for 38 yards.
With a new field and the home opener, Elk Grove came out flat. After Azeez scored his first touchdown, putting the score at 14-6, the Grenadiers turned the ball over on their next three possessions.
Jake Haas and Joseph Schneider each had an interception for the Vikings, while Riley Carlson recovered a fumble.
"We have to correct that," first-year Elk Grove coach John Sigmund said. "Mental mistakes in all three phases - from the offense, to the defense, to the special teams - has to be corrected. That is something we are emphasizing week in and week out. We can't put ourselves in the hole like that. We have to start out fast and finish strong."
Turnovers also cost the Vikings too. Matt Sweeney recovered a muffed kick, helping ignite the Grenadiers' comeback late in the second quarter. A few plays later, Azeez, who rushed for 111 yards, punched the ball into the end zone to go into the half trailing 31-12.
Azeez and Kyle Anderson each scored in the second half to make the score 31-28 with 6:08 left in the game. Joe Gatziolis helped set up Anderson's score with a 35-yard reception from AJ Lorenz.
"They are doing a great job over there," Fremd coach Lou Sponsel said. "(Sigmund) is turning it around. They are a good football team. Those kids play hard. They played much harder than us tonight."
Lyke, however, put the game away, carrying the ball seven times for 50 yards, including a touchdown on Fremd's final drive to seal the game.
"We just had to step it up," Lyke said. "Our team stepped it up. Coach was getting in our faces and telling us what's up. The line they put everything on the line and just stepped up for us big time."