Mundelein dismantles Streamwood
Mundelein seniors, quarterback Anthony Norris and receiver Isaiah Wellman, didn't allow their performance from last week deter their efforts Friday evening as the Mustangs blanked Streamwood 40-0 at Millennium Field.
The Mustangs ran early and often with a variety of players marching for 269 rushing yards against the Sabres. Five of six of Mundelein's touchdowns were from the ground game.
“We have a long way to go,” said Mundelein coach Larry Calhoun. “We didn't perform well last week. In the second half we shifted motions and took advantage of our trips (formation). (The Mustangs) gained a little confidence going into the second half. The positive we can take was that we won our first game and we won it big. I'm proud of the boys.”
Norris and Wellman tallied the Mustangs' two first half touchdowns as they pieced together two long drives.
On the two first half scoring drives, Mundelein's offense capitalized on Streamwood special teams miscues giving the Mustang short field advantages in Sabre territory. Mundelein's first score was a 1-yard run by Norris (12 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs) in the first quarter and a Wellman gallop for a 29-yard run (143 all-purpose yards, 2 touchdowns) early in the second.
Mundelein took a 13-0 lead into halftime.
“We kept the focus for each other and the team,” Norris said. “We're nothing without the (offensive) line. Those guys are the reason we put up 40. We have to get after it every day, devour film and focus in practice.”
The Mustangs wasted no time in scoring again after they returned from the locker room. Calhoun and his staff crafted a happy medium of pass and rush plays on the half's first drive that resulted in a 15-yard Norris touchdown.
Mundelein never looked back reaching the end zone three more times in the second half.
Streamwood made a variety of errors on offense. The Sabres also had issues from the Mustangs' defensive line throughout the game.
Offensively, the Sabres didn't advance past midfield until the four-minute mark in the third quarter.
“Execution has been a struggle,” said Sabres coach Don Guindon. “We were running the right routes, but we were making physical errors with all of the drops (passes). Special teams had issues that led to three touchdowns.”
“(In the loss last week against Maine West), we couldn't move the ball. (Friday) was an improvement from week one, but we need to execute much better.”
Streamwood's defense forced 4 turnovers on downs and an interception grabbed by junior defensive back Anthony Garrison. Late in the fourth quarter, Sabres junior quarterback Jamel Sheppard and running back Shannon Allen led an offensive charge into the red zone, but their effort was stopped short at the 10-yard line after a turnover on downs.
Other Mundelein scorers included a second Wellman touchdown, junior wide outs Kyle Schaller and Eli Daugs.
“Anthony (Norris) stepped up as a captain today and led our team,” said senior receiver Abram Nazario (who registered four PATs and 55 all-purpose yards). “(In the second half), we envisioned we were 0-0 again. We didn't kick back and relax in the second half.”
“We need to hold each other accountable in stepping up. The brotherhood between our teammates is really sparking us.