In football, there is a classic saying that “Defense wins championships.” So far this season, that has held true for the Trojans varsity football team. 

The 2021 Cary-Grove defense has allowed only 30 total points in their first two games. That has kept the ball in the hands of the offense, allowing them to score 111 points in the first two contests.

The tone that the team set in their opener against Dundee-Crown carried over into their week two win against Crystal Lake South.

“We did a nice job tonight. We’ve got some things to improve on, but I’m happy with how we are progressing,” Head Coach Brad Seaburg said about the Trojan defense. 

As for the Trojan offense, the first two games saw the Trojans score 41 first-quarter points. These points have come from great, fast starts, mostly driven by the running game. 

CG has run the ball into the end zone 10 times on offense, and quarterback Jameson Sheehan has passed for three touchdowns so far. 

Backup quarterbacks Gavin Henriques and Liam Waco have been good in limited action, keeping the ball moving and preventing the Trojans’ opponents from starting comebacks. 

The defense has started to do its part in the scoring as well, with junior Colin Desmet returning a pick-six touchdown against CLS.

Not all of this has been perfect, though. After Cary-Grove surged to a 20-7 lead at the end of the first quarter Friday night, it soon shrank to 26-20 in the second quarter. That put the brakes on their fast start, and CG had to regroup. 

“We were able to finally stop them on defense,” Coach Seaburg said of their turnaround. “We had a nice interception too, and that really helped us springboard into the second half.”

Crystal Lake South is a much more talented team than Dundee-Crown, but looking at the final scoreboard, it was as if CG had played DC all over again. Scoring 60 points against anyone is a good sign for your offense, and defensive scoring adds a spark, too.

And finally, the way CG fought to increase a slim six-point lead to an end margin of 40 shows that as well. They rebounded and knew what they could do to help them get a win. Although the start was closer than the first game of the season, the Trojans again showed why they are the better of the two teams. 

“Just wanted to play a good hard football game, and be tough and physical, and I think we did those things,” Coach Seaburg said. “It was a good win for the team. Like any game, we have things we gotta work on, but it’s good to be 2 and 0.”

Now Cary-Grove prepares to take on the 2-0 Crystal Lake Central Tigers in a battle of undefeated conference rivals at CG on September 10 at 7 pm. 

This game seems like one that will be close down to the last ticks on the scoreboard, so if you can, come out and support your Trojans. They could be 3-0 when Saturday morning comes.