Lakes wins again, tops Grayslake North

Coming off a tough win against North Chicago, a versatile Lakes team defeated a sturdy Grayslake North (1-3, 0-2) squad 20-7 in front of a fired-up and packed stadium on Friday night.

Lakes improved to 3-1 and 2-0 in the Northern Lake County Conference with its third win in a row.

Visiting Lakes was led by QB Chris Selig (1 rushig TD, and 1 passing TD) in the air and on the ground, opening the game with a 13-play, 6-minute-and-41-second drive, Selig scraped into the end zone with 5:19 left in the 1st quarter on a 9-yard keeper. The offensive line carrying over its powerful push from Week 3 to create the hole.

When asked about this touchdown, Selig said with a big grin, "I saw the hole open up from the offensive line, one defense man, and then all I saw was the end zone and the cars."

Selig didn't see an empty end zone or the cars for long as he was quickly swarmed by celebrating teammates.

On the responding drive the Knights, hampered by flag, were off the field quick, but two plays later a heads-up defensive play, a fumble recovered by Pelleoun Washington, shifted the momentum for the Knights.

Not to be out done, the Knights defense stalled the Knights momentum, in large part due to an 8-yard sack by Jake Hren. Getting the ball back after a missed field goal attempt by the Knights, the Eagles were showing some mojo with Selig and Jack Lochner in the air and on the ground.

However, it was the Knights' defenseman Nathan Staley who stole back the rising momentum of the Eagles.

The fumble recovery set up the Knights' only score of the night. After three big runs by RB Christian Johnson, who rushed for over 100 yards on the night, with 9 minutes and 16 seconds left in the half, Tony Hines gracefully sprinted into the end zone on a 4-yard dash.

After the game, Johnson praised his offensive line for giving him some hard blocking, "We just need to keep fighting," he said, "even when they score on us, fight harder."

The philosophy and attitude of Johnson was not absent for the Knights as the game was a tug-of-war for the rest of the night, each team struggling against solid efforts from both defensive units of the Eagles and the Knights. With 5 minutes and 1 second left in the 3rd quarter, the Eagles were able to break away from the Knights with a 14-yard pass from Selig to Branden Nava.

"We had been throwing to the outside, and the offensive line just gave me time," Selig said. "They gave great protection all night."