Fenwick gets revenge on Oak Park-River Forest in a big way

RIVER GROVE – For four Fenwick football players who reside in Oak Park - OL/DL David Blake, RB/LB Luke D’Alise, QB Marek Hill, and WR/DB Elijah Romeus, last year’s 35-7 defeat at the hands of crosstown rival Oak Park and River Forest High School didn’t sit too well with them.

Saturday afternoon in front of a standing-room crowd at Triton College in River Grove, they got their revenge as the Friars pulled away in the second half to defeat the Huskies 34-13.

“It’s awesome,” said Hill, who completed 21-of-35 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. “The four of us talked all week about how important this game was, and we just went out there as a team, executed, and got the result we wanted.”

Fenwick (1-0) got a huge gift to begin the game as OPRF (0-1) failed to cover the opening kickoff and Romeus pounced on the loose ball at the Huskies’ 10-yard line. The Friars cashed in when D’Alise scored on 4th and goal from a yard out. But Nate Marshall was stopped on the two-point conversion.

“It’s hard when you start off with a big mistake,” OPRF coach John Hoerster said. “We basically spotted them seven points and against a team like Fenwick, it’s going to make life really hard for you.”

However, the Huskies showed mettle and immediately responded by marching 80 yards over seven plays to take the lead. Sam Gray’s 41-yard burst helped set up a 14-yard touchdown run by OPRF sophomore quarterback Johnny Nelson (14-of-26, 118 yards passing; six carries, 37 yards rushing), making his varsity debut.

“Johnny had a great camp,” said Hoerster of Nelson winning the starting job over junior Owen Watson. “He brings a lot with his athleticism, size, and strength, and his passing game has come along. He did a great job.”

Late in the first quarter, Fenwick used a 12-play, 67-yard drive that carried over into the second quarter to regain the lead. D’Alise (22 carries, 94 yards) did the scoring honors once again, this time going in from three yards out, and Hill found Marshall for the two-point conversion to give the Friars a 14-7 advantage with 10:15 left in the half.

OPRF pulled back within a point as Watson, replacing an injured Nelson, hit Khalil Nichols out of the backfield for a 9-yard touchdown. But Tommy Thies blocked Eric Guerrier’s extra point try to maintain Fenwick’s lead, which stood at 14-13 at halftime.

After stopping Fenwick on downs inside Friars’ territory early in the third quarter, OPRF had a golden opportunity to take control. But the Huskies’ offense couldn’t move the ball and had to punt.

Then Fenwick defensive lineman Aiden Burns made a momentum-changing play on OPRF’s next possession, sacking and stripping Watson of the ball, which was recovered by Timmy Mulcahy at the OPRF 27. Five plays later, Ninos Ameer found the house from 9 yards out to give the Friars a 21-13 lead at the 4:34 mark of the third quarter.

OPRF junior Matt Winkelhake intercepted Hill in the end zone to give the Huskies a brief spark as Nelson returned and completed three consecutive passes to Mykah Riley. OPRF had a 4th and 3 from the Fenwick 23 early in the fourth quarter, but Nichols was stopped short, resulting in a turnover on downs.

“I like how our kids fought,” Hoerster said of the Huskies, who have just five returning regulars from last season. “They’re learning and growing. They’re a great group, and I think we’re going to be alright. You want to keep yourself together and stay positive, but at the end of the day, we made too many mistakes.”

The Friars marched 78 yards in 9 plays to create breathing room as Hill found TJ Smith for a 24-yard touchdown pass. Nichols blocked Noah Sur’s PAT, but Fenwick had a 27-13 lead with 8:50 to play.

Then after stopping OPRF twice more on downs, D’Alise’s 26-yard jaunt set up his third touchdown run (one yard) that sealed things with 1:36 left.

“Luke had an absolute monster game,” Hill said. “He was the player of the game in my opinion. He just makes plays.”

“I thought we came out with a lot more emotion and energy,” Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia said. “I’m proud of how they kept fighting and had a great will to win. But we’ve still got a lot of stuff to clean up.”

Up next for Fenwick is a road trip to St. Ignatius September 1. The Wolfpack defeated the Friars last season for the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference White Division title last season on a flea-flicker in the final minutes.

“I remember that game all too well,” D’Alise said. “We’re going to work hard this week and see if we can have a better feeling this time.”

OPRF has its’ home opener against Lake Park September 1. It’s also the night the Huskies will retire Dallis Flowers’ #21 jersey. Flowers is being honored for his unique journey to the NFL, which included stops at four different colleges, making the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent last year, and being named to the Pro Football Writers of America Association’s All-Rookie Team as a kick returner.

“This loss hurts, but if you look at the big picture about why you coach, it’s that you hope you have a positive influence on your players’ lives,” Hoerster said. “To see a kid like Dallis come back and be excited about his jersey being retired, I’m proud of him.”