Allen, Grant edge North Chicago
As a lifelong lineman, Ricky Allen knows the importance of work in the weight room to improve his strength.
Now, he's thinking that some speed and agility work might be in order.
"I definitely have to (work on my speed now)," the 6-foot-1, 255-pound Allen said with a bit of a laugh.
Allen was a big playmaker for Grant on Saturday afternoon in a 17-0 victory over visiting North Chicago.
The junior defensive lineman kicked off the Bulldogs' homecoming game by putting the first points on the board midway through the first quarter. As a muffed North Chicago snap got batted around in North Chicago's own end zone, Allen snapped it up and scored the first touchdown of his career, which includes all of his many days of youth football.
Then, in the second quarter, Allen scooped up another North Chicago fumble, this time deep in Grant territory, and began sprinting down the sideline with nothing but daylight in front of him. He advanced the ball 54 yards before being caught from behind, just about 35 yards short of scoring the second improbable touchdown of his career.
The Bulldogs, who got their first win of the season (1-4), ended up getting a field goal out of the deal, a 20-yarder from sophomore Andrew Ryczek.
"I thought I had that one, too, but they (the North Chicago players in pursuit) were just quicker than me and caught up," Allen said. "It was different to (be running towards the end zone). I wish I would have gotten it."
In the meantime, Allen will continue to enjoy his rare heroics in the end zone from his first touchdown.
"It took a couple of seconds for me to realize what I just did, that I had just gotten the first touchdown of my entire life," Allen said. "I've been waiting for that for a while. That was a really big thrill."
Ditto for Grant's long-awaited win.
Coach Vito Andriola says that his players were getting restless for a victory, especially after competitive games the previous two weeks.
"We showed perseverance," Andriola said. "It's been four weeks, and 10 months since we won a game and we've been working so hard. That's unbelievably long in football. So I'm happy for our guys. I hope that they can enjoy it and come back Monday and be ready to work.
"I thought Ricky (Allen) did a great job. He and our defense are starting to understand what we're trying to do, the nuances of what we do because we are multiple and they're starting to get it."
Besides Allen's big plays, Grant also got a shot in the arm from sophomore running back Kenyon Jones, who rolled up 87 yards on 20 carries. He scored the Bulldogs' other touchdown, a 1-yard run that capped a 14-play, 64-yard drive that spanned the last half of the second quarter.
Senior running back Riley Whitney actually led the Grant offense in rushing yardage with 114 yards on 11 carries. He out-gained North Chicago all by himself. The Warhawks rushed for a total of just 99 yards.
North Chicago (1-4) struggled to sustain drives, and got into the red zone only twice the entire game. The Warhawks also lost four fumbles and threw an interception.
"We just have to make smarter plays," said North Chicago quarterback DyShawn Gales, who completed 7-of-26 passes for 73 yards. "We've got to execute the offense better. We ran the ball pretty well (with Isaiah Washington, 11 carries, 46 yards) and we'd get momentum. But then we'd mess up and we'd get on each other. We have to stop that."