Elk Grove's Ridge has a game for the ages

It was a lucky 7 for Elk Grove junior running back Ian Ridge last week.

All he did was rack up 7 touchdowns in the Grenadiers 56-33 win over Wheeling. That mark is a school record and ranks 12th in IHSA history.

Meanwhile, Ridge also rolled up a school-record 422 rushing yards on 33 carries.

"That's a pretty good night for him, pretty strong numbers," Elk Grove coach Miles Osei said with a chuckle, aware that he was stating the obvious. "Ian has such good vision and he really sets up behind his blocks well, and he has a knack for seeing and making the cuts he needs to make.

"The other thing that's great about Ian is that you can really coach him and show him things one time during the week and he is able to immediately comprehend it and execute it in games. That's rare in a high school athlete."

Ridge, who was named the Chicago Bears Player of the Week, already has 1,200 rushing yards on the season and 15 touchdowns.

Senior legacy: Although Elk Grove has been eliminated from the playoff picture, there is still work to be done over the next two weeks.

The seniors in particular aren't finished yet.

"We were just talking with our seniors about this," Elk Grove coach Miles Osei said. "The playoffs are out of the picture, but these kids are trying to change the culture here and that's a big deal to them. The seniors want to finish strong and set the tone for next year. They want success for this program."

Osei points to two seniors in particular, Ethan Serna and Shane Crimmins, who have set the perfect example for how the program can flourish in the future.

Serna is a wide receiver for the Grens while Crimmins has played everything from wide receiver to linebacker to cornerback.

"Ethan, as a junior and sophomore, was very undersized and he worked his butt off in the weight room this past summer to put on weight and get stronger and he's just a tough kid who set a great example with his work ethic," Osei said. "And Shane is also undersized but he has done everything we've asked and has adapted to multiple positions as we have moved him around. He hasn't complained at all, he just goes out and competes. He's been a great role model for our younger guys."