Oswego grabs share of title
Hugunin leads way on both offense and defense
ROMEOVILLE -- That's more like it.
"Last week wasn't our night," said Oswego coach Dave Keely, referring to his team's loss to Minooka that dropped them into a tie for first place in the Southwest Prairie Conference.
(Hung T. Vu/For The Sun-Times News Group)
It was the Panthers' night Friday in their 27-0 win over a Romeoville team desperate to lock up a playoff spot.
The Spartans close the season 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the Southwest Prairie Conference and don't likely have the necessary points to make the playoffs.
The Panthers (7-2 , 6-1) grabbed a share of the league title with Minooka and probably locked up a home game for the opening round of the playoffs.
Junior linebacker and emerging running back John Hugunin led the way, spending nearly as much time in each backfield. He ran 13 times (all in the second half) for a game-high 87 yards rushing and one touchdown and a two-point conversion, both in the third quarter.
It's the third game Keely has employed Hugunin on offense.
"I played running back as a freshman and sophomore," Hugunin said, "so it's not totally new. I'm glad Coach Keely gave me the opportunity."
He had plenty of help.
Senior fullback Adam Brooking had 16 carries for 80 yards and Brandon Lang added 58 yards on 11 carries. The Panthers ran 48 times for 241 yards and had 313 total yards to just 109 for the Spartans.
"He had big plays throughout the game," Keely said of Hugunin. "He just goes and goes and goes."
Hugunin had a 9-yard sack of Romeoville quarterback Matt Gillis and pressured him several more times. Linebacker Dan Howell also sacked Gillis for a 16-yard loss.
"It was just preparation (on defense)," Hugunin said. "We came up with a blitz that allowed me to get into the backfield like that. And that was coach (Brian) Cooney who came up with that."
Junior Eric Zweep and senior Chris Bagley each intercepted Gillis, who was limited to 4 of 22 passing for 59 yards. He had at least five balls dropped by his receivers, however.
The Panthers took advantage of a Romeoville miscue to get on the board early, as Hugunin and Howell came in and blocked a Gillis punt after the Spartans were held on their first possession.
Oswego took over at the hosts' 30 and needed just six plays to score on a 15-yard sweep by Lang. Drew Boldridge's PAT made it 7-0 with 8:27 left in the first quarter.
Sean Danielson added a 4-yard scoring run in the second quarter on a drive that was highlighted by Ryan Prinzing's juggling one-handed grab on a 36-yard pass play from QB Ryan West (5 of 9, 72 yards).
Hugunin's TD highlighted the third and Brooking capped an 86-yard drive with his 1-yard plunge with 10:03 remaining.
The drive included a 36-yard run by Hugunin and a 31-yarder by Brooking.
Key lineman Mike Greenwood, who was out for two weeks with a concussion, was back at full strength. But Colin Seibert, still recovering from pneumonia, was limited to just first-half action.
The Panthers were fortunate that a bunch of penalties, seven for 80 yards, didn't prove costly.
"Those, we have to correct," Keely said. "We're picking up five yards a crack and then killing drives with things like that. It's not acceptable."
Romeoville fullback Cameron Stingily, who is 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark by gaining 80 yards on 16 carries but he was pretty much it for the Spartans.
"He's a load, a tough guy to bring down," Keely said.
