Hoffman Estates states its case

Should you or someone you know need some legal assistance, it might not be a bad idea to consult the firm of Pierce, Bitre, and Alexander.

It certainly worked out well for Hoffman Estates on their home Garber Stadium gridiron, in the form of a 24-7 verdict over Hersey in the second week of Mid-Suburban League crossover football Friday night.

Behind quarterback Keegan Pierce's lead prosecution, Hoffman Estates (2-1) had plenty of momentum. Pierce was involved in all of the Hawks' scoring play, including 2 touchdown passes, 2 extra points, and a 26-yard field goal in the first half.

He also contributed a handoff to running back Chady Bitre's closing argument, a 12-yard touchdown run with 8:47 to play that provided the final margin of victory as the 5-foot-6 senior totaled 146 yards combined rushing and receiving, 115 of them coming in the second half.

Linebacker/running back Jaylan Alexander added 70 more yards on the ground and sparked a defensive effort that kept the Huskies' second-ranked area passing offense to only 69 yards through the air.

Hoffman Estates also had a pair of interceptions against Hersey quarterback Tommy Jackson (6-for-18) in addition to recovering a pair of fumbles as the Huskies fell to 1-2.

"It's just a matter of staying calm, keeping patient, trusting in our O-line," said Pierce, who finished 17-for-25 passing with 195 yards. "We're starting to believe that we can not only play with anyone, but that we can beat anyone - and that we can only beat ourselves."

The 6-1 Alexander, in just his third varsity game, called the defensive effort that held Hersey to just a 4-yard touchdown run by Dennis Blair (10 carries, 114 yards) the culmination of a hard week of work in practice.

"Our defensive coaches got us ready for tonight by getting us to focus on their strengths," Alexander said. "We talked about what needed to be done for us to win."

Both Pierce and Alexander trace it to leadership of their veteran coach Mike Donatucci, in his second season at the helm for the Hawks.

"He's simply a great motivator who has us believing in ourselves," Pierce stated. "He's able to make this a lot of fun, from practices through the week leading up to our games. He cares about us and that makes us more prepared."

Hoffman Estates hopes to be prepared enough to shake up the Mid-Suburban West race in two weeks, following a final divisional crossover against Wheeling.

Hersey will wrap up its MSL crossovers in Week 4 with a trip to unbeaten Conant.