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Wheeling's second-half surge sinks BG

Wheeling had an 8-point lead at halftime, but took care of business in the second half to win its second game of the season, beating Buffalo Grove 35-19 Friday.

After losing 5 straight to start the season, and the playoffs now out of the picture, Wheeling, which features a young roster, is looking to gain momentum for next season.

"We are doing it for next year," junior John Kappel said. "We are trying to win these games to set the tone for next year. We don't have playoff hopes anymore, but we are not going out on a short note."

Jalen Dennis and Josh Diaz set the tone on offense Friday in the Mid-Suburban League East matchup, while Andrew Lara and Kappel made big plays on the defensive side of the ball.

Dennis, a junior, started the game with a 72-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Draka and added two touchdown runs in the second half.

"It just came down to us fighting together and fighting as one," Dennis said. "Just coming out with a nasty attitude and just hitting people. That is what we did last week and that is what we did this week. It pays off."

Kappel was a major threat on both sides of the ball, recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass on defense while catching the ball 5 times for 82 yards on offense.

"I just love playing," Kappel said. "I don't have a preference (for offense or defense). I love playing with my team, with my brothers. I would die for my brothers. I love being on the field."

After not getting a carry in the second quarter, Diaz ran hard in the second half, finishing the game with 120 yards rushing, including a 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Wheeling a 28-12 lead and put the game away.

"He is an animal," Dennis said. "He runs the ball extremely hard. It is hard to stop him; he just keeps his feet moving after contact."

On the other side of the ball, Trey Cervantes had 247 passing yards, including a touchdown pass to Nolan Fortman and two scoring runs.

Lara, a junior defensive lineman, however, gave Cervantes problems all night constantly pressuring the QB and sacking him twice.

After giving up two score in the first half, Wheeling didn't allow the ball to reach the end zone until the end of the fourth quarter. Cervantes scored on a 1-yard run, but it was a 35-yard pass to Jimmy Trieb that set up the score.

After winning in Week 1, Buffalo Grove has lost six straight and will look to right the ship with games against Rolling Meadows and Prospect to finish the season.

"Right now we need to be competitive and win a game," Buffalo Grove coach Mike DiMatteo said.

For Wheeling, it is just about continuing what has worked these past two weeks with Hersey and Elk Grove left on the schedule.

"We are all glad to win two in a row," Wheeling coach Brent Pearlman said. "In some ways we have gone a long ways and in some ways we haven't come long enough. We just want to continue to do what we are doing and let our kids fight and enjoy the rest of the season."

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