South Elgin keeps shutout streak going
Maybe sometime this season South Elgin will give up a point.
Hasn't happened yet.
Coming into Friday's Upstate Eight game against visiting Streamwood, South Elgin had a tough task if it wanted to maintain the pace of its first three games - a combined 169-0 margin.
But that's just what the Storm did. And then some.
The Storm blitzed the 2-1 Sabres with 28 first quarter points, then put 21 more on board in the second quarter on their way to a 63-0 victory.
"We felt they were the best team we've played up til now," South Elgin coach Dragan Teonic said. "The game was really wild in the first quarter. I thought we played hard and physical. And we are growing as a team."
South Elgin (4-0, 4-0) stays perfect heading into next week's game at Glenbard East, also 4-0. The Rams won the Upstate Eight last year beating the Storm 35-7.
"They got after us," Teonic said. "That game has been circled since January in the weight room. We're ready to roll. Our kids know what's at stake and what we need to do."
Friday's outcome was never in doubt. The Storm took advantage of a short field throughout the first half, starting drives at the Sabres' 23, 25, 26, 31 and 16-yard lines.
The longest they had to go to score was 59 yards. That came on opening possession after Eron Mahmudi recovered a Streamwood onside kick. Later in the quarter South Elgin tried an onside kick and senior Christian Mastropieri recovered.
Sophomore quarterback Ben Karpowicz (5-for-6, 94 yards) threw the first of his three touchdown passes, a 20-yarder to Marquis Gillespie II, to make it 7-0.
The lead quickly swelled as Streamwood (2-2, 2-2) did not pick up a first down in the opening half to get its defense off the field. South Elgin outgained the Sabres 290-24 in the half, 393-40 for the game.
Corve King caught a pair of touchdowns from Karpowicz before Mahmudi took over at quarterback and scored on an 11-yard run for a 49-0 halftime lead.
Gillespie also ran for a first-half touchdown as did Alex Noworol and Davion Cherwin.
"We wanted to take away the run at beginning and they threw the ball there," Sabres coach Don Guindon said. "They are a good team. Dragan has the program rolling."
Mahmudi and Payton Dennis scored South Elgin's second-half TDs.
Meanwhile the Storm defense stayed unscored on, Streamwood never getting past midfield with just 2 first downs in the second half. Gillespie II intercepted a pass and Dylan Bernal recovered a fumble as the Storm have now won their four games 232-0.
"We want to keep that streak going," Bernal said. "We wanted to set the tone in the beginning and punch them in the mouth."