Football: Fassnacht, Maher net Week 3 MVP honors

St. Francis senior quarterback Peter Fassnacht and Libertyville senior linebacker Ryan Maher have earned Daily Herald MVP honors for their football performances in Week 3 of the high school football season.

OFFENSE

Peter Fassnacht, St. Francis: The 5-foot-8, 160-pound senior quarterback was nearly perfect in the Spartans' 53-7 Chicago Catholic League Green victory over Marmion. He completed his first 20 passes of the game in a streak that extended through halftime. Fassnacht finished 23-of-26 passing for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Johnny Davidson, Barrington: The Broncos' senior quarterback enjoyed a big night in a 42-18 win against Elk Grove, finishing with 252 yards passing along with 154 yards rushing. Most of the rushing yards came on scoring runs of 76 and 62 yards; as a passer, he was 12-for-15 without an interception and tossed 3 TDs.

Antoine Hicks, Mundelein: The 3-0 Mustangs have already scored more points than they did all of last season, and their offensive weapons have included the senior wide receiver/linebacker. His touchdown receptions of 27, 11 and 8 yards in a 55-6 win over North Chicago hiked his season total to five.

Corey Sheehan, Crystal Lake South: This hard-charging running back scored four times and accounted for 48 percent of Crystal Lake South's offensive output in a 42-12 victory over visiting Bloom Township on Saturday. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior rushed for 186 of the Gators' 388 total yards on 26 carries, and he reached the end zone on scoring runs of 10, 8, 4 and 2 yards as the Gators improved to 2-1.

DEFENSE

Ryan Maher, Libertyville: The senior linebacker has been a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the Wildcats during their 3-0 start. Maher was at it again in the Wildcats' 41-0 win over Zion-Benton. He intercepted two passes and rang up 10 tackles, including one for loss.

Nico Gagliano, Glenbard West: Led by the play of their 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior linebacker, the Hilltoppers' defense shined again in a 41-14 West Suburban Silver victory over York. Gagliano notched a team-high 10 tackles, including 3 sacks. He also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.

Matt McCabe, Fremd: The 6-foot-4, 235-pound standout defensive end was everywhere in a 42-35 win against Prospect, finishing with 22 tackles - just 1 shy of Fremd's single-game record. McCabe, a Yale-bound senior, had 1 tackle for loss along with 3 quarterback hurries.

Jeremiah Wright, Aurora Christian: This 5-foot-7, 155-pound senior made a huge impact in Aurora Christian's 32-21 victory over Lake Forest Academy. Not only did the standout two-way player rush for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns, he excelled at linebacker by forcing a fumble and making 7 tackles (4 solo), including 3 sacks and an assisted tackle for loss. With his team trailing 21-20 in the second half, Wright stopped a Lake Forest Academy drive with an interception at his own 10-yard line and the Eagles took the lead for good on the ensuing possession.