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South Elgin shuts out Larkin

In every phase of the game, the big plays just kept coming for South Elgin.

Davion Cherwin scored two touchdowns, including a 62-yarder on the game's third play, and also snagged 2 interceptions on defense.

Shiking Marshall returned a punt to the house to ice it. Andrew Bucaro had a TD reception and kicked 2 field goals as the Storm ruined Larkin's senior night with a 48-0 Upstate Eight victory at Memorial Field.

Ben Karpowicz completed 12 of 17 passes for 197 yards and 3 TDs and also ran for a score.

The Storm wasted no time, with Cherwin heading off right tackle on the third play from scrimmage. He turned the corner and raced up the sideline untouched. The Storm added 2 more scores before the end of the first quarter, with Karpowicz taking it himself from the 1, then tossing a 39-yarder to Cherwin.

"(It was) an overall effort on both sides of the ball, especially with the lines," Karpowicz said. "That's where it all starts. Going back to practices, they're always the ones that get us going. It was just a great effort tonight."

Cherwin finished with 2 carries for 69 yards, 5 receptions for 79 yards and the 2 picks.

"That was the goal coming into this game was to play a clean football game," said South Elgin coach Dragan Teonic. "I'm not sure we quite got there. We had a couple of balls on the ground. We recovered them, but we got a couple of balls on the ground."

Karpowicz threw his second touchdown pass, to Christopher Mejia-Gomez, on the Storm's second play of the second quarter. But then Larkin's defense stiffened. The Storm got to the Larkin 5-yard line on their next possession, but were stopped on third and short, forcing a field goal attempt, which narrowly missed.

South Elgin started the second half by recovering an onside kickoff. But they stalled again and settled for Bucaro's 24-yard field goal. Their other possession of the quarter also ended in a Bucaro field goal.

"I thought they played outstandingly hard and physical," Teonic said. "They forced us into 3 field-goal attempts. Give them a lot of credit on that. The scoreboard does not reflect how hard and well their kids played."

Dontrell Maxie went the distance at quarterback for the Royals, throwing for 60 yards and rushing for 14 more, but Larkin had the ball in South Elgin territory just twice. The Royals reached the 24-yard line in the first quarter, but after a 1-yard run, a motion penalty, and 3 straight incompletions, the Storm took over on downs.

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