Wauconda's all about winning
There is no margin of error left for the Wauconda football team.
It's win, and keep winning, or turn in equipment in two weeks from now.
With a 1-4 start, Wauconda has been in a position over the last two weeks to have to win out to have even a chance of making the IHSA playoffs with a 5-4 record and enough points (based on opponent wins).
On Saturday, the Bulldogs answered the call for the second straight game. After getting an upset victory at Vernon Hills last week, Wauconda laid it on thick against visiting Grant and rolled to a 41-7 North Suburban Conference Prairie Division victory.
The Bulldogs improve to 3-4 and 3-1 in the Prairie. It was the first time in 19 years that they were able to defeat Grant, which falls to 1-6 and 1-3 in the Prairie.
"We love it (the pressure of having to win). We love to compete," said Wauconda quarterback Kevin Malisheski, who completed 6-of-6 passes for 193 yards and 3 touchdowns. "We know we're not guaranteed to get in at 5-4, but we know we have a really good chance because we've played a tough schedule (and have gotten 28 points thus far, tied for most in the Prairie). That's our motivation right now. The coaches told us the rest of our games are 'playoff' games. We've got two more 'playoff' games in front of us in Antioch and North Chicago. It will be fun. I'm looking forward to it."
Running back Tyler Stankiewicz thinks the sense of urgency is fueling Wauconda now.
"I love the pressure. It gets me going," said Stankiewicz, who rushed for 2 touchdowns and 99 yards on 12 carries.
The Bulldogs wasted no time setting the tone for their latest must-win.
The Wauconda defense forced Grant into a three-and-out on the first series of the game and then the offense marched 74 yards on the next possession, scoring on a 25-yard touchdown by Stankiewicz.
Wauconda then reeled off three more touchdowns before halftime, and took a 28-0 lead into the locker room. All three touchdowns were on passes from Malisheski (60 yards to Connor Mitchell, 20 yards to Marc Vucovich, 17 yards to Parker Fink).
"Everybody was clicking today," Wauconda coach Dave Mills said. "They (Grant) loaded up the box, they had eight, nine guys up in the box. You get a little play-action, you establish the running game, and we've always felt like we've got some great receivers and we've got a great quarterback.
"It's coming down to finishing. We got ourselves in a tough spot because we weren't doing that early on (in the season). Now, we're playing good football and we want to continue to do that. This group is very calm and confident. It's a veteran group and we've given ourselves a chance to reach one of our top goals for the year (a playoff berth). We're doing it by winning as a family."
As a family, Wauconda has been through tougher times than just the four losses on its record. There has been other adversity, too.
"All the things these kids have dealt with this season, football is where these kids have been able to find some fun," Mills said. "We've had funerals (death of a player's dad and a coach's brother). We've had some other off-the-field things that kind of tug at you and make it very easy to get distracted.
"These kids have leaned on each other and we're here playing football and having fun."
Wauconda kept rolling in the second half, scoring yet another touchdown about four minutes into the third quarter. The Bulldogs blocked a Grant punt and Jeremy Hollander ran in the return from 21 yards out. That made the score 35-0.
Grant finally got the board about five minutes later, after a muffed Wauconda punt. Grant got the ball at the Wauconda 20-yard line and scored on the very next play, a 20-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Nick Kouvelis to Kemar Miller.
It was Grant's only completion of the game. The majority of the Bulldogs' 199 yards of offense came from sophomore Kenyon Jones, who rushed for 156 yards on 19 carries.
"We didn't play hard and we have to do that. I knew we were in trouble this morning," second-year Grant coach Vito Andriola said. "Wauconda has played hard all year. They had a lot to do with it, but until we learn to play hard, it's a program thing.
"(Jones) is getting better, but it's a process of building a program. It's really, really hard. The only thing that gives me a little smile is that three years ago, the (Chicago) Cubs were pretty bad. (The Cubs' playoff run) makes me feel pretty good. There are ways to do it."