Football: Prairie Ridge ‘D’ dominates Nazareth

Updated: November 12, 2011 5:18PM

Josh Hrudicka and John Borst made an early statement for Prairie Ridge Saturday in Crystal Lake and the rest of the Wolves answered with a 35-7 victory over Nazareth Academy in the class 6A quarterfinals.

The duo combined for a defensive touchdown just 10 seconds into the game. Hrudicka stripped the ball from Nazareth’s Joshua Moore at the Roadrunners’ 17-yard line and Borst picked it up and ran untouched for the score. “We wanted to start this game fired up,” Hrudicka said. “I just made the tackle and tried to pop the ball loose.”

“The linebackers made a play and got a fumble,” Borst said. “I was at the right place at the right time. It was just scoop and score.”

That was just the start of Prairie Ridge’s dominance on defense. Hrudicka and Borst, along with Collin Corcoran, Brad Simms and Ralph Nardi stymied Nazareth’s high-powered offense, limiting the Roadrunners to 57 yards rushing and 150 total yards for the game while forcing three turnovers.

“Our kids on defense were really a very motivated group,” Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp said. “We wanted to contain their running game, I didn’t think we would shut it down like we did. It was an all-out great effort.”

Prairie Ridge (11-1), struck again on its second possession. Following a short punt, Nick Nissen capped a five-play, 30-yard drive with an eight-yard run to make it 14-0 with 4:56 left in the first quarter.

While the Wolves defense was keeping Nazareth in check, Prairie Ridge running back Connor Greenwald kept the clock and the sticks moving for the Wolves. Greenwald, who finished with 171 yards on 28 carries, tallied on a one-yard with 3:15 left in the first half to put Prairie Ridge up 21-0.

“The defense did a heck of a job today,” Greenwald said. “We just wanted to execute our simple plays and we did.”

Nazareth (10-2) looked to have a chance to climb back into the game in the third quarter thanks to their defense.

Kevin Curtin picked up a fumble and scored on a 49-yard return to cut it to 21-7 with 8:45 left. The later in the quarter, Joseph DeSimone blocked a punt and the Roadrunners recovered at the Wolves’ 20-yard line. But on fourth down, Nazareth quarterback Sam Poulos was stopped short of the first down at the 11.

Prairie Ridge, who will meet Batavia/Lakes in the semifinals next weekend, added a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to put the game away. Nissen, who rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries, scored on runs of 24 and 25 yards.

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