With just a handful of starters from last season's state championship team, the talk around town was that this would be a rebuilding year for the Trojans.
But the Cary-Grove High School football team has turned things around this season and are now on the brink of returning to the playoffs.
A shattering 27-6 loss to Crystal Lake Central to open the season was followed by a tough loss to highly ranked Lake Zurich, the Trojans' season didn't look good. But Cary-Grove rebounded and pulled off four straight victories.
"We're getting better every week," Cary-Grove head coach Bruce Kay said after the most recent victory. "We don't like talking about the playoffs. We take one game at a time. But it generally takes five wins to make it into the playoffs And we've won four games so far this season."
Here's a recap of the season, which is about midway through:
Aug. 27
* The reigning Illinois 6-A football champs lost their first game to Crystal Lake Central High School on the Tigers' home field. Central's Gage Harrah seemed unstoppable. He romped for 182 yards on 29 carries and scored four touchdowns.
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Sept. 3
Some expected the Trojans to be steamrolled by Lake Zurich, which is ranked among the state's top teams. But Cary-Grove scored first with a field goal and held Lake Zurich scoreless for three quarters. Still, Lake Zurich kicked a field goal in the fourth quarter to tie the score and eventually won in the final minute with a 65-yard touchdown run.
Sept. 11
Cary-Grove's football team gave its fans a homecoming present—their first win of the season. The Trojans steamrolled Woodstock High School, beating them 48 to 6. The Trojans dominated the Blue Streaks from the start. As a team, Cary-Grove rushed for 345 yards on 41 carries. Trojan junior Andrew Sobeski scored the first two touchdowns of the game. He rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries. Also impressive was Patrick O'Malley, who ran for 81 yards on 11 carries, and Ryan Mahoney, who scored two touchdowns and had 74 yards rushing. Second-stringer Nick Jimenez scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter on an 86-yard run. Quarterback Corey Laktas passed for 78 yards and rushed for 23 yards.
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Sept. 17
The second impressive win in a row brought the Trojans' record to 2-2. As of this point in the season , it is all non-conference play. On home turf, Cary-Grove beat Woodstock North 42-7. The Trojans scored all their points in the first half. Laktas has developed a formidable air attack. He completed a 34-yard scoring pass to Sobeski in the second quarter. Laktas also scored on a keeper with less than 10 minutes before the half. Sobeski had an 80-yard breakaway run with just seconds left clock prior to halftime. O'Malley also scored in the second quarter and leads the team in rushing.
Sept. 24
Cary-Grove rolled over Jacobs in the first half, scoring 35 unanswered points. O'Malley scored first on a 10-yard run. In the second quarter, Mahoney rushed for a pair of touchdowns and was on the receiving end of a pass from Laktas. Laktas also connected with a touchdown pass to Joe Ryan. Defensive lineman Sam Mago and linebacker Sam Babick were key to shutting down Jacobs in the first half. In the third quarter both Mahoney and O'Malley found the end zone, yet again. Cary-Grove beat Jacobs 49-21.
Oct. 1
The Trojans beat Huntley 28-6. O'Malley ran for two touchdowns in the first and second quarter. In the fourth quarter O'Malley scored a touchdown on a 5-yard run. Wide-receiver Chris Leach scored on a 22-yard pass from Laktas.
