As Coach Seaburg said a week ago, he was seeking for the Trojans to “take care of business” against DC and head into postseason play with a 9-0 record. Cary-Grove did just that, taking down the Chargers by a final of 55-8 in a blowout that saw halftime in favor of CG by a 41-0 clip.
The Trojans didn’t take long to gain an early boost in the win. Cary-Grove’s defense forced the Chargers to punt on a three-and-out to begin things, and two plays into CG’s first drive, senior fullback and kicker Jadon Apgar notched the Trojans’ opening points with a touchdown run.
Following a punt on DC’s second drive, Cary-Grove leaned on senior running back Holden Boone for the Trojans’ ensuing possession. Boone was the leader behind a strong, resilient drive for the Trojans, with Holden converting on a fourth and two, also moving the ball 25 yards on a run for CG.
Landon Barnett, senior running back, ran in a touchdown after that, and it was 14-0 Trojans one quarter in. CG offensively has been able to put up a slew of points this season, and the 14-0 lead for the Trojans was another margin out of six games in the regular season where CG got out to a double-digit advantage after one quarter of play.
With long runs, big plays, offensive control, and responsive drives amid adversity to boot, the Trojans have been able to get up on opponents, cruise to some wins, and perform under pressure when called upon to do so.
“I think we’ve done a nice job, and we’ve had a lot of guys playing,” Coach Seaburg said of the offense. “A lot of guys have had chances to carry the ball and catch the ball.”
Early in the second quarter against DC, CG had an offensive hiccup, as senior QB Peyton Seaburg was picked off. However, the Trojan defense picked the team up, as they forced another punt for Dundee-Crown.
A touchdown run from Seaburg, a blocked punt by CG senior linebacker Charlie Ciske, a touchdown run by junior Brady Elbert, and a Jason Ritter pick-six later, the Trojans extended their lead to 34-0. Another interception, this time by senior Preston Walsh, allowed Cary-Grove to extend their lead to 41 right before halftime.
“When you have those kinds of plays, then you can score a lot of points,” Coach Seaburg said.
Excluding the Trojans’ 44-43 win over Huntley, the CG defense hasn’t allowed lots of offensive success to opposing offenses. Cary-Grove opponents only scored an average of nine points a game, and the Trojans defense provided big stops, turnovers, and overall efficiency snap in and snap out. Coach Seaburg accredits the defensive success during the regular season to the athletes lined up, notably senior defenders.
“Really good players,” Coach Seaburg said. “A lot of seniors are playing defense.”
The first drive of the third quarter, the Trojans took off the third quarter clock by seven minutes and nine seconds, extending the lead to 48. CG eventually went up 55-0 following another Trojan defensive highlight, with junior Landon Moore punching in the closing touchdown for Cary-Grove – who leaned heavily on the rushing attack in the win over the Chargers.
“We had four different fullbacks score,” Coach Seaburg said. “We were able to really get a lot of touches to our fullbacks.”
With their big win over the Chargers, CG will face off against the Senn Bulldogs in round one on Friday night. The Trojans are staying present amid the bracket in front of them, as CG aims to advance to round two.
“Taking it one game at a time,” Coach Seaburg said.