Maroons rely heavily on Dean
Elgin junior has 8 of his team's 9 TDs
One of the most exciting playmakers in the area was on top of his game last Friday.
Elgin junior Jordan Dean bolstered his reputation by scoring all three Maroons touchdowns and running for a season-high 254 yards on 27 carries in a 20-19 win against East Aurora.
The performance marked the second three-touchdown game of the year for Dean. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound talent has accounted for eight of Elgin's nine touchdowns this season.
With 48 points this year, Dean is second only to Larkin running back Jalen Williams among area scoring leaders.
Aside from being a dangerous running back, Dean also returns kicks and punts and plays safety. He has five rushing touchdowns, a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown, a 74-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 64-yard punt return for a touchdown.
"Jordan does a real nice job of running with his eyes," Elgin coach Dave Bierman said. "We're always looking for ways to get him more touches and get him more involved."
Injury bug strikes several teams -- A rash of season-ending injuries to key players has struck several area teams through the first few weeks of the season.
Genoa-Kingston suffered a major blow when senior Garrett Johnsen broke all five toes in his right foot during a Week 3 loss at Harvard.
Johnsen, who was a unanimous All-Big Northern Conference West Division selection last year, ranked among the area's scoring and rushing leaders at the time of his injury. The talented running back and outside linebacker is scheduled to undergo surgery this week.
"The doctor said it is some of the freakiest stuff he's ever seen," G-K coach Bill McCarty said. "Everyone is just sick about it. The kid worked hard.
"You hate to see that for any kid, but one on your team is particularly tough."
Bartlett's offense sustained a big loss when senior receiver Zach Konstanzer broke his collarbone on the opening kickoff of his team's 40-0 loss to Crystal Lake South in Week 2. Hawks coach Tom Meaney predicted before the year that Konstanzer would rank among the area's top wideouts.
Elsewhere, Jacobs senior Alec Starr is out indefinitely with a broken leg. Starr was a key member of the Golden Eagles offense and defense as a quarterback and defensive back.
The injury bug started to strike even before the season when Burlington Central lost senior quarterback Tim Botsford to a broken left leg he sustained while playing in a 7-on-7 scrimmage at Beloit College in July.
Possley producing for Saints -- St. Charles East's Nolan Possley is finding different ways to contribute.
The 5-10, 170-pound senior started all four games at quarterback for the Saints, but at times he moves to fullback when sophomore Charlie Fisher enters to take snaps.
Possley was effective in both roles and saw some time at defensive back in last week's 21-14 win at South Elgin. He ran for 93 yards on 21 carries, passed for 58 yards and assisted on a tackle.
"I told him 'The Possley experiment continues,' " East coach Mike Fields said. "He is a great guy, he's all over the place and he's really a team player."
