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Prairie Ridge marches into quarterfinals

When you think of the Prairie Ridge backfield the names of sophomore sensation quarterback Samson Evans and senior fullback Nathan Griffin come to mind.

You can add junior Cole Brown to that list.

Scoring PR's first 3 touchdowns of the game, Brown carried the ball 11 times for 90 yards as the second-seeded Wolves toppled No. 7 Lake Forest 40-13 in second round action of the Class 6A playoffs held at PR's Athletic Stadium Friday night.

The Wolves (10-1), winners of 10 straight, take on the winner of Saturday's Riverside Brookfield vs. Grayslake North game in next weekend's quarterfinals.

Brown scored on runs of 25, 8 and 5 yards as the Wolves held a comfortable 20-0 advantage midway through the second quarter.

"It was a fun game to play in," said the junior back. "It is awesome to help the team win. In the triple option, you have to be ready for the ball. You dream of days like this in the playoffs. The offensive line opened some huge holes."

PR coach Chris Schremp believes Brown is a vital part of the Wolves' offensive attack.

"Teams concentrate on stopping Nathan and Samson which leaves our wings open at times." said Schremp. "Cole Brown really shined tonight. He had some huge runs early that set the tone."

The Wolves, who scored on the first drive of the game, ran roughshod on the Scouts' defense, compiling 34 first downs and 417 yards rushing on 69 attempts.

Evans, running the PR option to near perfection, gained 186 yards on 23 attempts and scored on runs of 35 and 4 yards while Griffin bulldozed his way to 119 yards on 21 carries with a 4-yard scoring run.

"We set the tone on the initial drive of the game marching down the field to score," said Schremp. "It is very important to score first in a playoff game. It gave us a lot of confidence."

Lake Forest (7-4) got a solid effort from senior quarterback Dan Carollo in his final game as a Scout. Scoring on an 11-yard touchdown, the senior completed 12-of-27 for 123 yards. Brian Doherty caught 5 for 67 yards, Quinn Julian ran 11 times for 93 yards which included a 45-yard TD run.

"Prairie Ridge is a very skilled team," said Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli. "That first drive set the tone and we just couldn't stop their offense."

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