L-Way East delivers knockout blow

NEW LENOX -- Austin Copley delivered the biggest hit.

Max Bayer was the young man who left the guys dressed in red feeling the effects of headache.

Copley's knockout blow forced a second-quarter fumble in Lincoln-Way East's 35-12 victory over district rival Lincoln-Way Central on Friday night at Lashmet Field. Pat Meehan recovered the loose ball on the Knights' 7.

And Bayer scored on the next play.

The junior fullback scooped up a low throw from Ryne Van Gennep and bounded into the end zone on a 7-yard pass play that stretched East's lead to 21-6 with 2:55 left in the first half.

East (7-1, 5-1) tightened up on defense in the second half and walked away with the Dave McKay Gridiron Grail trophy again. The Griffins' victory was their eighth straight over Central dating back to 2001.

Copley, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior defensive lineman, blew up a designed draw play with his simultaneous hit on Central quarterback Bryan Hennessey and running back Alex Russo in the backfield.

"The coaches made the right call there," Copley said. "I came through the gap and he was right there with the ball and I hit him. I believe the quarterback still had the ball. I saw the quarterback and the back together and just hit them both.

"I came free right through the middle. That whole drive -- our defense -- we made a stand right there. I think that's what pumped up the team, the whole defense coming together there."

Bayer, a 5-11, 190-pound junior fullback, burst onto the scene in a style befitting that of his big body. He rushed for 81 yards on 10 carries. He also caught two passes for 18 yards and one touchdown.

"We had some people go down, and he's come up and really filled the spot," Van Gennep said. "He's doing one heckuva job. When we're in the red zone, we're kind of a run-based team. But coach just thought, 'Hey, let's mix it up a little bit. Let's get Bayer a touchdown.'

"He was almost too wide open. The throw was low. But I got it to him."

Van Gennep completed 11-of-17 for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also hooked up with Alex Evans on a 20-yard scoring play. Kevin Starke rushed for 73 yards and scored 2 touchdowns, both on 1-yard runs. Matt Hartmann added 34 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Central (6-2, 4-2) abandoned its run game and went to a shotgun, spread-the-field attack in a bid to control the ball. The Knights' Hennessy passed for 202 yards on a 24-of-39 performance. He threw for one touchdown.

"We had a lot of moments where momentum went our way," East coach Rob Zvonar said. "And, then either by a good play on their part or a miscue on ours, it shifted back the other way. It was kind of a game of momentum shifts.

"Luckily, we kept pounding that rock, so to speak, and persevered. The defense settled down in the second half. We were able to keep them out of the end zone, although (Hennessy) is a heck of player. They've got great receivers and great schemes throwing the football.

"We worked hard during the week to stop their run, and they had a good game plan coming out and throwing it. So, I give a lot of credit to Central and their kids. But this was medicine we needed after a disappointing last week, to come in here against an excellent 6-1 ball team and come out of here with a win."

East took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards on 10 plays to go ahead. Hartmann scored on a 6-yard run to cap the drive. Kyle Moore's kick put the Griffins on top 7-0.

The big play on the drive was a 35-yard pass from Van Gennep to Brandyn Jackson. The two hooked up on a third-and-8 despite the face Jackson faced double coverage. He used his 6-5 frame to win a jump ball in the secondary.

Central answered with a 10-play, 83-yard drive to cut the gap to 7-6. Russo scored on a 26-yard run. Scott Secor's extra-point kick was blocked by East's Tamer Almasri. The big play on the drive for the Knights was a 27-yard run by Russo. He took a handoff from Hennessy and took off on a reverse after Hennessy faked a naked bootleg.

East pushed to a 14-6 lead on Starke's 1-yard run with 3:58 remaining in the second quarter. Starke's run capped a 10-play, 69-yard drive. Van Gennep used a pump fake to draw the defense away from his target and hit Evans on a 29-yard gainer to highlight the series.

And, then, Copley came up with his double-popper.

"Besides, the Bolingbrook game, this is what we look for in the summer, this and the Providence game," he said. "Now, we've won, eight in a row? It's big game. The coaches pushed in practice. They got us prepared."