advertisement

Week 1 MVPs: Naperville North's Davis, South Elgin's Doherty earn accolade

Naperville North senior quarterback Drake Davis and South Elgin senior linebacker Colt Doherty have earned Daily Herald MVP honors after their standout performances in Week 1 of the high school football season.

OFFENSE

Drake Davis, Naperville North: Davis had a brilliant debut as the Huskies' quarterback. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior completed 25 of 43 passes for 391 yards and 4 touchdowns while leading his team to a 53-49 victory at Edwardsville after trailing 42-0 late in the first half. Davis also rushed for a pair of touchdowns.

Eric Mooney, Huntley: This quarterback was in full control of Huntley's run/pass option offense in a 30-27 comeback win at Jacobs. Facing a veteran defense with playoff experience, Mooney completed 13 of 23 passes for 136 yards and rushed for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries. He returned a fourth-quarter punt 55 yards for a touchdown to give his team the lead. After Jacobs regained the lead with 1:38 left, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior drove Huntley 62 yards in 8 plays, culminating in his game-winning, 1-yard touchdown run with 7.7 seconds left.

Brendan Bazar, Libertyville: Bazar's night? Not bizarre at all. An all-area performer as a junior, the running back picked up where he left off in leading the Wildcats to a season-opening, 27-14 win over host Highland Park. He rushed for 211 yards on 22 carries, scoring on bursts of 58 and 43 yards.

Ray Niro, Barrington: The senior quarterback was a force in the season opener. He rushed for 249 yards on just 15 carries, scoring on runs of 36, 92, 23 and 60 yards as Barrington handled visiting Warren 34-20 while rolling up 426 yards of offense. Niro also finished 10-for-14 passing for 125 yards without an interception.

DEFENSE

Colt Doherty, South Elgin: This senior linebacker stood tall in a 47-0 season-opening victory against Miami (Ransom Everglades) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. Doherty (6-0, 185 pounds) contributed a team-best 9 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered another to pace the first Storm shutout since a 33-0 win over Metea Valley on Sept. 16, 2011.

Robert Elem, Leyden: Elem came up with the biggest defensive play in a game filled with them as visiting Leyden delivered a dominant performance in a 42-9 win against Fenton. Elem came up with the second of the Eagles' pick-6s, this one a 51-yard first-half interception return that helped Leyden take firm control of the game.

Andrew Hare, Antioch: Hare hopped to it. The senior safety had a dominating performance on opening night in helping the visiting Sequoits speed past Kenosha Tremper 41-12 in Wisconsin. He notched 2 interceptions, totaled 7 tackles, forced a fumble and blocked a kick.

Trenton Hegranes, Wheaton North: The Falcons beat Wheaton Warrenville South 19-14 behind a solid defensive effort sparked by Hegranes. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior safety snared 2 interceptions, including one he returned 90 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half. Four of his 5 tackles were solos.

Eric Mooney
Brendan Bazar
Ray Niro
Colt Doherty
Robert Elem
Andrew Hare
Trenton Hegranes
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.