Burlington Central turning heads with solid play

Updated: September 19, 2011 9:39PM

By going on the road and mauling Stillman Valley last week, Burlington Central sent a shock wave through the Big Northern Conference.

The Rockets are riding high after their 35-7 BNC crossover victory against the Cardinals bumped their overall record to 3-1. Next up is a home showdown with two-time defending BNC East champ Richmond-Burton (3-1) in the division opener for both teams this Friday.

Burlington Central’s effort against a Stillman Valley team that played in the Class 3A state championship game each of the past two years was noteworthy on many fronts. The Cardinals hadn’t lost at home, scored fewer than seven points or been beaten by 28 points since Week 9 of the 2008 season when they lost to Oregon 28-0.

“We set our sights on a few games here in the first half of the season that we thought were very important and would give us a good measuring stick as to where we were,” Burlington Central coach Rich Crabel said. “Stillman was certainly one of those games. Now we start off the conference with Richmond-Burton, which is probably the favorite in the conference, so it’s going to be another big one.”

Burlington Central has impressed on both sides of the ball this season, but its defense stole the show against Stillman Valley.

Senior linebacker Chandler Crary racked up a whopping 19 tackles to lead the charge against the Cardinals’ formidable option attack. The Rockets made a habit of disrupting Stillman Valley in the backfield, tallying 11 tackles for loss in the contest.

Senior Al Willett put the perfect finishing touch on the performance with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The play helped Burlington Central continue its streak of scoring a defensive touchdown in every game this season.

“We played really hard, good responsibility football against Stillman Valley’s option attack, which is always tough to defend,” Crabel said.

Senior safety Johnny Major and junior outside linebackers Nate Reed and Joel Bouagnon have also been key contributors on defense for the Rockets.

On the other side of the ball, junior quarterback Ryan Ritchie, running back Bouagnon and senior receiver Zach Ranney headline a balanced offense that is averaging 156 rushing yards and 142.5 passing yards per game.

Help is also on the way for Burlington Central, which expects junior offensive lineman Paxton Cesaroni to be in action against Richmond after missing the first three games with a shoulder injury. Junior defensive lineman Joel Lopez (6-foot-1, 275) is also close to returning to game action after undergoing knee surgery in the spring.

Sabres showing off their skills

Most of Streamwood’s skill position players contribute on both sides of the ball, but that isn’t much of a problem when you have a stable of talented playmakers like the Sabres.

That depth was on full display in last week’s 35-9 victory against St. Charles North when star running back Alex Morrow scored on a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. Junior Austin Mugnai also added a 21-yard interception return for a touchdown to go along with his three-catch performance at receiver.

Morrow, Mugnai, junior receiver/defensive back Blake Holder, junior running back/linebacker Vince Williams, junior receiver/defensive back Deji Giwa and senior running back/linebacker Alex Crocker all fill the bill of players who can make big things happen anytime they get their hands on the ball, whether it be on offense or defense.

“We’ve got enough skill guys that we can really move people around,” Streamwood coach Cal Cummins said. “I think our versatility overall is making us tough to defend, and on the other side our guys are running pretty well to the football on defense.”

Lundry running hard for Whip-Purs

Hampshire senior Chase Lundry has been a big bright spot for the Whip-Purs in the midst of their 0-4 start.

Lundry racked up 104 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in Hampshire’s loss at Cary-Grove on Saturday, marking the fourth straight game he’s topped 75 rushing yards. For the season he has 493 yards and five touchdowns on 77 carries.

“Chase has done well and he’s been a workhorse for us,” Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh said. “Our offensive line has also done well. I think that kind of goes together.”

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