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Maine West rolls past Glenbrook South

Maine West continued its season-opening winning streak by besting Central Suburban League crossover foe Glenbrook South 37-13 Friday night in Des Plaines. The Warriors (2-0) routed Mundelein in Week 1.

Warriors' senior quarterback Danny Kentgen led the way, going 18 of 30 for 318 yards and tossing two touchdowns. He also added a rushing score. Kentgen shared the wealth with his wideouts, hitting seven different players. Maine West junior receiver Semaj Johnson was Kentgen's top target, squeezing 5 catches for 113 yards and one trip to the end zone.

The Warriors trailed 6-0 early in the first quarter after Glenbrook South junior quarterback Michael Bauer connected with senior tight end Clayton Finzer for a 12-yard touchdown.

However, the Warrior sideline and faithful erupted after Maine West blocked the ensuing extra-point attempt.

"The defense had our back," Kentgen said when talking about the Warriors' slow start, "The offense started clicking when we zoned in."

Out of the gates, things were not going the Warriors' way. A turnover on downs, three 3-and-outs and an interception was all they had to show for the first quarter.

Maine West didn't get on the scoreboard until late in the first half when senior kicker Isaac Ochoa connected on a 25-yard field goal.

After forcing a 3-and-out on Glenbrook South late in the second quarter, Kentgen dropped back, scanned the field and threw a bullet to junior receiver Isaiah Siem-Davis. The tall, speedy junior scampered past Glenbrook South defenders for a 55-yard touchdown and the longest play of the game.

"We ran that play a lot in practice," Kentgen said. "I found (Siem-Davis) and gave it to him, and he did the rest."

While nursing a 10-6 lead at halftime, Maine West was caught off guard as Glenbrook South chipped an onside kick that it recovered.

However, the Warriors' defense was able to stop Glenbrook South on that drive, and most of the second half.

Maine West's defense was stingy with relinquishing yardage. It held the Titans to 74 yards in the second half, while forcing two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and knocking loose two fumbles (one recovered).

After the onside kick, the Warriors scored on consecutive possessions. The first of the two was a Kentgen 8-yard run, followed by a 37-yard throw to Johnson. Throughout those drives, Johnson and Kentgen developed a rapport that extended the Warriors' lead to unrecoverable levels for Glenbrook South.

The Titans (0-2) scored once more early in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by senior tailback Andrew Gall.

"I listened to Danny (Kentgen) and he gave me confidence," Johnson said. "I started to see that the (defensive backs) were giving me soft coverage. It felt good to catch (the touchdown pass). As I'm watching the ball, I heard the crowd go silent. My nerves were up, but I focused in."

Other Warriors that reached the end zone included Siem-Davis, senior running back Zack Norman (who also recovered a fumble) and senior wide out/safety David Jackson.

Maine West goes on the road for its next 2 games, facing off against two Mid-Suburban League foes in Hoffman and Wheeling. Warriors coach Jason Kradman is content with their 2-0 start, but looks to fine-tune a few things before heading westbound.

"We need to clean up the snaps and the penalties," he said. "There were too many holding calls, but we will take a look at the film. I have to give credit to Glenbrook South. Their front seven played well against our run. They played well and they're well-coached.

"(Hoffman Estates) is another good program, and we're excited to play them. We will over-prepare in practice next week."

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