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Week 7: Glenbard West's Diver, Stevenson's Michael Marchese merit MVP acclaim

Glenbard West junior running back Ryan Diver and Stevenson senior safety Michael Marchese have earned Daily Herald MVP honors for their performances in Week 7 of the high school football season.

OFFENSE

Ryan Diver, Glenbard West: Diver and the Hilltoppers had the offense rolling in a 56-39 West Suburban Silver victory over previously unbeaten Oak Park. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior running back needed only 24 carries to rush for 312 yards, including touchdowns of 80, 6 and 24 yards.

Jacob Bicknase, Wauconda: The leading rusher among the Lake County schools covered by the Daily Herald keeps piling up the yards. Bicknase's latest effort came during the Bulldogs' 42-7 win over Round Lake. He rushed 21 times for a season-high 294 yards and 4 touchdowns, as the Bulldogs won their third game to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Justin Jett, St. Charles East: This sophomore ran wild in a 55-15 Upstate Eight River victory over Larkin, which entered with a 3-game winning streak. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound fullback turned 22 carries into 222 yards and 3 touchdowns, including scoring runs of 2, 13 and 20 yards, to help the division-leading Saints improve to 7-0.

Logan Moews, Barrington: The Broncos' senior workhorse carried 29 times for 192 yards in a tense win at Hoffman Estates. Moews had 4 touchdowns runs and Barrington needed the last one, a 9-yarder, to hold off a stubborn Hawks team 45-41 and remain unbeaten.

DEFENSE

Michael Marchese, Stevenson: While he and his twin Henry provide quarterback Aidan O'Connell a pair of trusty 6-foot-3 targets, Michael might be more impactful on defense. The safety racked up 20 tackles, including 14 solos, and had an interception, as the Patriots beat Lake Zurich 17-14 in the teams' North Suburban Conference showdown.

Dylan DeMuth, Jacobs: This two-way player's motor never stopped in a nonconference win over Glenbard East. In addition to his role as center for an offense that scored 48 points, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior helped the Jacobs defense notch its second shutout this season. The end led the Golden Eagles with 10 tackles. He also recorded a sack and made a fumble recovery to help his team improve to 4-3.

Jake Julian, Waubonsie Valley: Packing a larger punch at defensive tackle than his frame - 5-foot-8, 170 pounds - might suggest, the senior delivered in a must-win for the Warriors. In Indiana, Julian recorded 10 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss, with 2 quarterback hurries in Waubonsie's 35-14 win over Hamilton Southeastern.

Johnny Kappel, Wheeling: The Wildcats can't afford another loss, and they needed their defense to come up big against a strong Buffalo Grove offense in Week 7. Enter Kappel, a senior defensive back who came up with a pair of interceptions to deny the Bison and keep Wheeling's playoff hopes alive after a 17-0 decision.

Jacob Bicknase
Justin Jett
Logan Moews
Michael Marchese
Dylan DeMuth
Jake Julian
Johnny Kappel
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