Good starts all around

Updated: September 6, 2011 6:24PM

Week 2 of the season literally just ended following the conclusion of Aurora Central Catholic’s 26-25 win over Marengo on Monday afternoon, but the playoffs are already at the front of the mind of area fans, coaches and players.

Of The Beacon-News coverage area’s 16 teams, 13 have started 2-0, giving each of them a leg up in the race for November. Going 3-4 over the final seven weeks wouldn’t be ideal of course, but it’s a far more manageable task than the road Oswego and East Aurora face at 0-2.

The most interesting 2-0 start belongs to Waubonsie Valley, a perennial playoff qualifier and contender in the Upstate Eight.

The Warriors haven’t begun a season 2-0 since the undefeated team of 1992, which eventually lost in the state semifinals.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Waubonsie linebacker Tommy Wooten said. “We always like to put a smile on our coach’s face. Now we’re not known as the 1-1 team, or the 0-2 team. We’re known as the 2011, 2-0 team. We’re not going to get big-headed. We’re going to go into Week 3 with intensity and try to get to 3-0.”

Metea Valley and Oswego East reached the 2-0 mark for the first time in each program’s history, with the Mustangs doing it in just their second season of varsity ball.

Aurora Central Catholic hasn’t started 2-0 since 1997, which also happens to be the last time a Chargers team finished the regular season with a winning record. It is also the last time ACC made the playoffs.

The other teams off to strong starts include Yorkville, Mooseheart, West Aurora, Kaneland, Plano, Batavia, Geneva, Sandwich and Aurora Christian.

Injury updates

Mooseheart’s high-powered offense might not reach its top speed now that running back Oumaru Abdulahi is apparently going to need surgery on his left shoulder, which he separated Friday night.

Abdulahi, one of the state’s most dynamic athletes, injured that same shoulder last year but it did not require surgery. He won the Class 1A state track meet in the high jump at 6-feet, 8-inches despite standing just 5-7.

Quarterback Jon Hart’s top target, Noel Yarngo, sat out Friday night as well to recover from a knee injury he suffered off the field. With Abdulahi out, the Red Ramblers hope Yarngo’s injury is not as serious and he’ll be ready to go for a key Northeastern Athletic Conference game this Saturday at Rockford Christian Life.

Another marquee running back dealing with a shoulder injury is on his way back, as Tre’Sean Mackey returned to action Friday for Metea Valley after missing Week 1. The Metea coaches worked him back in slowly, and he finished with nine carries for 80 yards (and a 55-yard TD that was called back on a penalty).

“He banged up his shoulder in summer 7-on-7s,” Mustangs coach Ted Monken said. “Those are a necessary evil because you need those reps against other teams. Because we’re not allowed to wear pads, you get some guys dinged up and that’s happened at a couple of places. He’s fine and we’re happy to have him back. He ran with a little bit of passion. It was nice. He was hungry.”

Aurora Christian is not faring so well on the injury front, as top receivers Chad Beebe and Grayson Roberts are out with broken collarbones. Then, on Friday, the Eagles saw a potential callup in Brandon Walgren separate a shoulder in the sophomore game.

Quotes of the week

“It was a great feeling. It was like we all lost our sanity and just went out (on the field) like a bunch of crazy dogs that weren’t curbed. I had a lot of fun out there. We had a lot of juniors, like (linebacker) Matt Lally, who made a lot of good plays in the flat, step up. It was an all-around great effort by our defense.”

— Marmion Academy senior linebacker Mike Shares on the Cadets’ first-half performance that limited Fenwick to just nine plays and two yards.

“Last year, we were in the same position. We just know that we have to come together as a family, as one, and play like a team next Friday night.”

— Oswego senior quarterback Ryan West on what his Panthers need to do next week to to rally from a 0-2 start.

Dee-lightful

Waubonsie Valley senior wide receiver Dee Gray began the season with offers from Illinois State, Akron and Ball State, but hopes to attract the attention of Big Ten schools with a strong senior season.

In Friday’s victory over Oswego, Gray not only caught five passes and a touchdown, but he blocked hard down the field on a 74-yard touchdown catch and run by Austin Guido and on ensuing long runs by Guido and quarterback Mitch Stefani.

“He’s a Division I talent — if the college coaches don’t see that on (Friday’s) film, then they shouldn’t be recruiting college. He’s a Division I talent,” Warriors coach Paul Murphy said. “Can he play in the Big Ten? I don’t know — a Big Ten coach will have to make that call. He can play at Northern (Illinois University). If coach (Dave) Doeren doesn’t recruit him, I’ll be very, very disappointed in coach Doeren. If (Doeren) doesn’t go after him he’ll probably end up seeing him in his conference. I guarantee you after coach (Mike Saybock) sees this on film from Western Michigan, Western Michigan is going to be all over him.”

Rick Armstrong, Paul Johnson, Christine Bolin and Chris Pall contributed to this report.

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