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Oak Park gets by Downers North
Oak Park-River Forest's Sedrick McDonald (4) knocks a fumble away from Downers Grove North's Robert Sheppard (43) on a third and goal in Oak Park on Sept. 9, 2011. | Rob Hart~Sun-Times Media
Updated: September 10, 2011 12:35AM
It may have only been his first varsity start, but junior Oak Park-River Forest QB Dain Mrozek looked like a three-year starter impressing Oak Park nation. Starting in place of injured quarterback John Phelan, who suffered a season-ending left foot injury in last week’s win against Proviso East, Mrozek controlled the game mixing in a steady diet of passes and runs in a 21-7 win over Downers North Friday night in Oak Park.
Junior RB Jakari Cammon ran 33 times for 177 yards and a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass also.
“I was nervous in the beginning, but once the adrenaline got going, I just got in my zone,” Mrozek said, who finished 3-for-10 with 92 yards. “I settled down a bit and I realized, it’s just football, and I play it the way I’ve always played.”
The Huskies relied heavily on Cammon in the beginning as he carried the ball five times on the opening series. As the game continued, Huskies coach John Hoerster continued to pound the ball with Cammon and Mrozek, who ran for 79 yards himself, ran an option like offense that spread out the Trojan defense.
“I think the kids played their hearts out tonight. The constant thing we’ve been telling the kids is to trust the concepts, trust the coaches and finishing. Tonight we were consistent or closer to it,” Hoerster said afterward. “They didn’t ease up. I’m very proud of them.”
The Huskies could just never get into a rhythm. They had three turnovers, including a crucial fumble deep in Huskie territory and two interceptions by senior quarterback Riley McGinnis.
Late in the third quarter with the team down 13, the Trojans finally put the ball in the end zone on a 5-yard McGinnis run that included three defensive penalties against OPRF.
Late in the fourth quarter with his team trailing by 6 and starting on his own 10, McGinnis drove the Trojans down the field but threw a pick to OPRF senior LB Brennan Van Spankeren which Spankeren took all the way down to the Trojans 1. Just one play later, Cammon took it in from a yard out and the wind was knocked out of the Trojan’s sails.
“This victory means we have to keep improving. We see where we’re at, we see how good we are, but it doesn’t mean anything. We have to keep our foot on the pedal and keep going,” Cammon said.
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