Streamwood enjoying rare taste of early success

Updated: September 6, 2011 7:26PM

At some schools, a 2-0 start to the football season is nothing to get excited about.

For Streamwood, back-to-back wins to begin the 2011 campaign is both a groundbreaking achievement and a sign that its downtrodden days on the gridiron might finally be coming to an end.

By beating Dundee-Crown 40-17 last week, the Sabres improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2002. They also ended an even more dubious streak by winning consecutive games for the first time since winning three in a row during Weeks 2-4 of the 2003 season.

It’s no secret a successful start to the year can do wonders for a team’s psyche, and any future opponent that takes Streamwood lightly does so at its own peril.

“Let’s face it, in a game like football the confidence you build is really important to get that momentum going,” Streamwood coach Cal Cummins said. “I think our confidence is pretty big for us right now. It appears that each week will get tougher and tougher, but hopefully that momentum will help us get through.”

Despite owning an 8-39 record in six seasons at Streamwood, Cummins is no stranger to success. He compiled a 109-61 record and made 10 playoff appearances during a 17-year tenure at Freeport before taking over the Sabres in 2006.

This fall Cummins is getting a hand from an old friend from his days with the Pretzels. Terry Werntz was Cummins’ defensive coordinator at Freeport, and he is now in his first season filling the same role on Cummins’ Streamwood staff.

“That’s been a big plus,” Cummins said. “(Werntz) retired from teaching and coaching at Freeport last year, and I called him right away. He agreed to come in and see what we can do again.”

The Sabres boast some of the top individual talent in the area, starting with senior running back Alex Morrow. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder has 448 yards and six touchdowns on 39 rushing attempts through two games.

Senior quarterback Dalton Lundeen is in his third varsity season and has a stable of capable receivers, starting with big-play threat Blake Holder. The 6-2, 189-pound junior has four catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns this year, good for an average of 38.3 yards per reception.

Any success the rest of the way will signal a big step in the right direction for the Sabres, who haven’t won more than two games in a season since 2003. A win at Elgin on Saturday would make Streamwood 3-0 for the first time since 1997, and the ultimate goal for Cummins’ team is to reach the postseason for the first time since 2002.

Granted, the Sabres haven’t exactly played powerhouses so far. Dundee-Crown and Week 1 opponent Hoffman Estates are two of the few teams in the western suburbs that have had less success than Streamwood in recent years.

The schedule remains favorable for the Sabres in the coming weeks as their next four opponents — Elgin, St. Charles North, East Aurora and St. Charles East — are a combined 1-7 so far this season. A trip to Geneva in Week 7 might just hold major Upstate Eight River title implications if Streamwood continues its winning ways, but don’t expect the Sabres to get too far ahead of themselves.

“I think right now our players are handling (the success) pretty well,” Cummins said. “The nice thing about these first couple games is we’ve been able to spread the ball around on offense and defensively we’ve had a lot of guys contribute as far as making tackles and making plays. We’re hoping that will help everybody stay involved and keep their heads.”

No satisfaction for Green Wave

St. Edward’s defense is turning into a bunch of perfectionists.

The Green Wave was stingy as usual during last week’s 55-6 thumping of Iroquois West, recovering four fumbles and intercepting two passes in the victory. There was one blemish, however, as a second-quarter touchdown for the Raiders marked the first points allowed by St. Edward this season.

“We were disappointed giving up six points,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “Our defense is senior-laden and has a ton of pride. They feel obligated to stop teams.”

Senior linebacker Mark Sink (25 tackles, 1 fumble recovery), senior defensive tackle Evan Finnane (19 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble) and senior defensive back Ryan Johnson (18 tackles) lead the Green Wave defense statistically through the first two weeks.

Start of a new era

Hampshire plays its first Fox Valley Fox game this Friday when it hosts Grayslake Central.

The Whip-Purs, who moved to the FVC from the Big Northern this year, will be trying to avoid their third straight home loss to begin the campaign.

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