Wauconda opens with resounding win over Lakes

Football is back after a long wait for players and coaches to get back on the field.

It's a rush of march madness in a different way where the appreciation isn't taken for granted.

Wauconda senior quarterback Nate Bulgarelli led the way with his ability and experience, passing the football 13 of 16 for 213 yards and a couple of touchdown passes as the Bulldogs won their home opener 31-3 over visiting Lakes in the Northern Lake County Conference on Friday night.

"It's so much fun being out here," Bulgarelli said. "I couldn't ask for anything else to play the last six games. It's a blast. I wouldn't want to run into us if I was on the other team. We're pretty strong in al phases of the game."

Bulgarelli hooked up with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Javerius McGuinn (9 catches, 146 yards) and JJ Jocobo (2 catches, 46 yards) for 10 yards. The Bulldogs added touchdowns from Colin Husko (9 carries, 44 yards) and Nick Bennett (10 carries, 75 yards).

Wauconda's Austin Fink added a 26-yard field goal.

"Isn't this fun?," Wauconda coach Dave Mills said. "Lakes is a great team. Say all you want, our kids have been looking forward to this for a long time. It's been strange and here we are playing football. That's the fun part of it."

Seeing something different with football dates back to Sept. 11, 2001 for Mills.

"I've been doing this long enough," Mills said. "Everything was canceled on a Tuesday night and we couldn't see our kids until we were going to play on Monday. So, we went from nothing to here and that's where it's at. As a coach, your used to 60 practices before your first game. Having 12 to 14 practices before a game is just strange."

Wauconda's defense was also strong in holding the Eagles to 109 yards of offense.

Lakes' Brandan Nava did kick a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter. But the Eagles couldn't move the ball much in the second half.

"We didn't start out that bad and were moving the ball pretty well," Lakes coach Jordan Eder said. "Our 'D' was playing and made Wauconda work. They did punch in a touchdown before the half (Wauconda lead 10-3). We just couldn't get anything going and hats of to them, on D especially. They shut us down pretty good."