Record-setting day for Kinley, Bee

Record-setting day for Kinley, Bee

ELGIN -- Cam Kinley's priorities never wavered.

On the day he shattered Larkin's single-season record for touchdown passes and helped keep the Royals in the playoff hunt, Kinley found more satisfaction in extending Larkin's winning streak against Elgin to six games.

"Any time you beat Elgin it is a perfect day," Kinley said. "Any time that happens it's great."

In many respects, it was Kinley's brilliant play at quarterback that keyed the Royals' 53-35 win.

The senior continued his season-long aerial assault by completing 26 of 34 passes for 411 yards and six touchdowns.

Kinley entered the game needing three touchdown passes to break Matt Schabert's record of 30 scoring throws in a season. Not only did Kinley surpass that mark on his go-ahead touchdown pass to Jake Kane in the third quarter, but he added some distance between he and Schabert, who threw 30 TD passes in 12 games in 1999.

The record stands at 34 as Larkin heads into its regular-season finale next week.

"It's a good feeling to break the record," Kinley said.

As has been the case all year, Kinley received plenty of help from senior Nick Bee and the rest of Larkin's talented corps of receivers.

The duo of Kinley and Bee proved virtually unstoppable as Bee hauled in eight catches for a season-high 212 yards. He also set a single-game school record with five touchdown receptions.

"Nick was getting open and I was putting it near him and he was catching it," Kinley said. "He made some great catches today."

Bee made additional history by becoming Larkin's single-season receiving yardage leader. His 1,046 yards this season tops the 1,036 receiving yards Bryan Whitehead compiled last year.

Although Bee's numbers are eye-popping, it is Kinley's consistent level of success that is most impressive.

Kinley is the only player in Larkin history to pass for more than 400 yards in a game, and he accomplished the feat Saturday for the third time this year.

Kinley averages 335.8 passing yards per game and is 151 yards away from breaking Schabert's single-season record of 2,837 yards. To put Kinley's efforts in perspective, Schabert set that mark in a 1999 season in which he averaged only 236.4 yards per game as Larkin advanced to the state quarterfinals.

Kinley's six touchdown passes Saturday were one off his school record of seven scoring throws set earlier this season against Jacobs.

"(Kinley) is one of the best quarterbacks I've ever played with," Bee said. "The kid is great and I hope he goes on to bigger things."

After compiling 159 passing yards in the first half against Elgin, Kinley and his receivers took their play to another level in the second half. Kinley completed his first eight passes of the third quarter and finished the second half completing 13 of 15 passes for 252 yards and five touchdowns.

Timing was the key to that second-half success, according to Larkin coach Dave Bierman.

"(Elgin) put some pressure on us in the first half," Bierman said. "I thought in the second half we did a much better job up front to give Cam more time. Obviously, that's a key. You can't run this offense if he's running around back there under pressure."

After the game Bee echoed Kinley's sentiments that the Royals' continued dominance against the Maroons took precedence over the record-breaking statistics.

While the Royals can become playoff eligible for the second straight year with a win next week against Waubonsie Valley, Elgin's hopes for a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2001 were dashed with the loss.

"We knocked them out, and that's a big thing," Bee said. "They're done and just playing for pride next week while we've still got a chance to get in the playoffs and make some noise."