Bartlett races to 21-0 lead over Fenton

Bartlett did its best to outwit the weather Friday night.

The Upstate Eight Conference game with Fenton was moved to Streamwood's Millennium Field to take advantage of the artificial turf and the kickoff was bumped up two hours to 5:30 p.m.

Mother Nature still had the upper hand. With 6:32 left in the first half and the Hawks up 21-0, the game was halted due to lightning. Play will resume at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Millennium Field.

Fenton had the ball at Bartlett's 37-yard line when officials stopped the game. After waiting the mandatory 30 minutes, the teams prepared to resume play. Referees spotted another lightning strike and the game was suspended.

"We tried," said Bartlett coach Matt Erlenbaugh. "We were trying to bump up the start time even more to get ahead of this. We've just got to come back and play tomorrow."

Erlenbaugh saw a benefit to the delay.

"We saw some good things, definitely some things that we need to correct," the Hawks coach said. "Which is a benefit of tonight - having time to get back to it and make sure that we are all set for tomorrow. "

Bartlett quarterback Mike Priami agreed.

"It's really an opportunity for us to get better, look at film and try to see the defense a little better," Priami said.

Fenton coach Matthew Lynch would have preferred conceding to the forces of nature.

"We knew this was going to happen at this time. So to start the game, I don't know why," Lynch said. "So now it's frustrating to have to come back."

Bartlett and Fenton traded interceptions to open the contest. On their opening drive, the Hawks got down to Fenton's 9-yard line when a Priami pass was picked off in the end zone. On Fenton's ensuing drive, Alec Palella returned the favor and grabbed a Nick Benn pass at the Hawks' 9-yard line.

His pick set up the Hawks' first score. A 20-yard TD toss from Priami to Matt Young capped an 81-yard, 6-play drive.

Bartlett needed only one play on its next possession to score another touchdown. Priami rambled 54 yards for the score to put his team up 14-0 with 2:55 left in the first quarter.

The Hawks extended their lead to 21-0 with 7:46 left in the second quarter. Palella grabbed a Priami pass over the middle, cut to the left and ran down the sideline 64 yards for the TD.