There are so many star quarterbacks in the area that Naperville North’s Jacob Bell is unknown outside DuPage County.
The 6-2, 200-pound Ball State recruit was brilliant against rival Naperville Central in Week 2. Bell was 31 of 51 for 377 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. The senior has accounted for more than 600 yards passing and eight touchdowns in the first two weeks for the Huskies (1-1).
It wasn’t enough to beat the Redhawks. Senior Gavin Ellison’s 25-yard field goal with 1:24 left gave Naperville Central a 24-21 win in front of a packed house at North Central College.
“[Bell] is a playmaker,” Redhawks running back Aiden Clark said. “He got out of the pocket and eluded a couple sacks. Made some big plays, especially late in the game to Quinn Morris on the sideline. You’ve got to respect it. But at the end of the day, I think we showed that we’re just tougher.”
Clark rushed 28 times for 151 yards and the game-tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Oswego’s statement
Joliet Catholic traveled to Oswego in Week 2 and got way more than it expected. The Hilltoppers were shut out for the first time since 2018.
The Panthers just missed out on making the preseason Super 25 last month. But a 17-0 victory against Joliet Catholic was still unexpected.
Oswego linebacker Carson Cooney, an Iowa recruit, led a defensive effort that held the Hilltoppers to 148 total yards.
Ayden Villa’s 64-yard touchdown run in the first half was the key offensive play for the Panthers.
Joliet Catholic (1-1), which lost the Class 5A state-title game to Nazareth last season, returned 15 starters. The worry in the preseason was the Hilltoppers lacked a dynamic playmaker on offense. That has turned out to be true through the first two weeks.
Joliet Catholic had better figure things out fast. Four of its next five games are against ranked teams: Fenwick, Marist, Nazareth and Mount Carmel.
Oswego knocked off a solid Neuqua Valley team in Week 1 and will be heavy favorites in every game for the rest of the season. The Panthers’ next seven opponents are a combined 2-12. Minooka, which is 2-0, is at Oswego in Week 8.
Robbie Gould’s first win
It’s been a relatively quiet start to the season at Rolling Meadows for former Bears kicker Robbie Gould, who took over the program amid an avalanche of hype in February.
The Mustangs lost at Pekin in Week 1 but came alive in Hoffman Estates in Week 2. Rolling Meadows totaled 360 yards of offense in a 34-12 victory against Conant.
Backup quarterback Quincy Johnson, a senior, led the Mustangs to the victory.
Battle of Pulaski
South Side rivals Marist and Brother Rice played a classic in Week 2. The RedHawks stopped the Crusaders on the goal line in OT to win 34-27. New coach Mike Fitzgerald, who revitalized York’s program the last few years, has found a successful formula at Marist quickly. The RedHawks beat Morgan Park in Week 1.
Quarterback Jacob Ritter, a transfer from Lincoln-Way East, accounted for more than 270 total yards against Brother Rice, which was expected to have one of the area’s best defenses.
Contributing: Mike Clark