Complete effort powers Buffalo Grove
During pregame festivities, newly elected Buffalo Grove homecoming king Daniel Ferriss said he was looking forward to the upcoming game against visiting Hersey, calling the Bison-Huskies rivalry "intense."
Never was that more true than Friday night at Grant Blaney stadium, especially from the perspective of BG.
Finally coming up with the big game on defense that it had been looking for all season, Buffalo Grove shut down Hersey's offense in a 42-14 homecoming win.
BG quarterback Connor Adams threw 4 touchdown passes, and the Bison defense didn't allow Hersey a touchdown until under a minute remained in the contest, bringing the Huskies' 2-game winning streak to a decisive finish.
"This is awesome," said Bison linebacker Eddie Walker. "After our loss to Prospect last week, we came out and had the best week of practice we've ever had.
"This is the best we've played defensively all year and it's a great way to start the second half of our season."
Three times in the first half, Hersey drove the ball deep into Buffalo Grove territory. But the Bison defenders held all three times, and Hersey could manage only 2 field goals from Scott Tangney.
BG scored twice in the second quarter, on a 36 yard Adams-to-Jimmy Trieb pass, then on a 2-yard run by Zack Sheasby, to take a 14-6 halftime lead.
"That kept us elevated, and it elevated our offense," said BG defensive lineman Patrick Conlon of the bend-but-don't-break first-half defense. "Holding them to 6 points in the first two quarters was very important to our success."
BG kept its foot on the defensive pedal in the third quarter, as Trieb made a clutch interception from his defensive back position on the Huskies' first series.
Minutes later, BG junior lineman Justin Gold blocked a Hersey punt , and the Bison turned it into a 21-6 lead on the next play when Adams fired a 23-yard TD strike to Thomas Kelly.
Kelly got behind his defender in the back of the end zone and made a tumbling, circus catch for the score.
"We were focused all week," said Gold, who led a strong Bison pass rush. "We were prepared and had our heads in the game."
BG scored again in the third when Sheasby made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone.
Then the Bison broke the game open in the fourth as Trieb caught another touchdown pass, this one from 23 yards out, and Walker had a 13-yard TD run.
A late 1-yard touchdown run from Hersey's Alex Nickens accounted for the final score.
Nick Wiley finished with 112 yards on the ground on 16 carries for Hersey (2-4, 1-1), while BG quarterback Adams completed 17 passes for 281 yards for BG (2-4, 1-1).
It was another stellar offensive display by the BG offense, but on this night, the light shone most brightly on the defense.
"We were fired up tonight," said Gold. "We wanted to win this game badly."