Hoffman Estates blanks Schaumburg

Femi Oginni needed that cool front.

The Hoffman Estates lineman had his motor running at full speed Friday night in Schaumburg. And since he didn't overhear thanks to the friendly temperatures, Oginni was able to be in on every play as the Hawks blanked Schaumburg 14-0.

"I don't get a break and it is tiring," said Oginni, who at 6-foot-1 and 265 pounds, plays both offensive and defensive line.

"I have to help my team any way I can. It's is for my team so I have to go do it."

Oginni, who had 12 tackles, including a pair of sacks, led a Hoffman defense that posted its second consecutive shutout and has allowed just 27 points in the last 3 games, all during the end of the game when the outcome was not in doubt.

"It is the most underrated defense in the state," said Hoffman Estates coach Tim Heyse. "Every week flying around, making tackles. They are athletic and fast and they do multiple things. And for Oginni, this weather is treating him well."

Oginni, who started last year as a junior, anchored a Hoffman Estates line that included Marcus Bustos, Dan Kim, Jeff Meyer and Tyler Montgomery that was instrumental in the first series of the game.

Hoffman (5-0, 1-0) took the opening kickoff and methodically marched 80 yards in 15 plays using nearly 7½ minutes of the clock. Max Lock capped off the drive with a 15-yard burst to make it 6-0. The conversion kick was then wide.

"We came out on the first drive and scored and that's what we needed," Hoffman quarterback Kyle Krogstad said. "We got momentum. We stalled many times after that. But that first drive was big because we drained them with nearly an 8-minute drive."

Heyse agreed that the opening drive was key for his team.

"That first drive was huge," Heyse said. "I can't remember when we scored on the first drive of a game in the last two years."

From there it was all defense for both teams.

Oginni along with Lock, Adam Burks, Ramon Rodriguez and a lockdown secondary of Cam Kindred, Marcellous Chew, Mekhi Williams, Darian Watts and Noel Pena kept Schaumburg's high-powered offense in check. The Hawks allowed 159 total yards and just 65 receiving yards while coming away with 3 interceptions.

The Hawks' secondary was whistled for 4 pass interference penalties, but that didn't bother Kindred, who had a spectacular one-handed interception in the end zone with a minute to play to preserve the shutout.

"I thought we played perfect defense," Kindred said. "But if the referees called it then they are right. We just have to play our game. We played our game and got on the goal line and shut them out."

Schaumburg (3-2, 0-1) also got strong play from its defense. After the first drive, the Saxon defense stiffened and didn't break until Hoffman scored midway through the fourth quarter.

That score, an 8-yard touchdown pass from Krogstad to Malik Whitehead, was set up by an interception by Chew. Jordan Lane scored on a conversion run to make it 14-0.

Schaumburg coach Mark Stilling said his defense played very well, but his offense struggled.

"Outside of the first drive, our defense was absolutely tremendous," Stilling said. "But in every single phase we were disappointed in discipline and I did not do nearly good enough job preparing us offensively."

Heyse said to expect this kind of game every week in the wild MSL West.

"This is the way it will be every week," Heyse said. "It will be grind out football."