CN100 Game of the Week preview: Football Week 2 - Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Stevenson

IHSA Football Week 2 – Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Stevenson

LINCOLNSHIRE – The two teams that combined for a memorable Class 8A state championship game in November square off one more time at 7:30 p.m. in Lincolnshire in a game that will be broadcast by CN100.
Stevenson won its first title after recovering a fumble at its own three-yard line in the final minute to knock off Homewood-Flossmoor in a 31-25 game. It capped off a perfect 14-0 season for the Patriots. The rematch comes your way on CN100, The Comcast Network, at Noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4, and at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 6. You can also watch the game anytime in HD with Xfinity On Demand.
This time around, however, it’s Homewood-Flossmoor that arrives as the favorite. The Vikings are the unanimous No. 1 team in the Class 8A AP poll and have also been ranked No. 1 by CSN prep football guru Tim O’Halloran.
The rankings come as little surprise. Many of the offensive weapons that led the Vikings to an 11-3 record last year are back. Quarterback Bryce Gray returns to trigger the attack after throwing for 2,353 yards and 24 touchdowns with only five interceptions last year.
Behind him are the Harley-Hampton twins, Deante and Devonte, two of the most dynamic playmakers in the state. They each rushed for over 1,000 yards last year, with Deante leading the way with 1,542 yards. They combined for nearly 3,000 total yards and 50 touchdowns.
On the outside, Gray welcomes back Kendric Pryor. Samuel Curtrara replaces graduated tight end star James Sheehan, who is now at Eastern Illinois. Sheehan was the team’s leading receiver. Highly-touted right guard Desmond Bland and center DeAngelo Wofford continue to anchor the offensive line.
“Homewood-Flossmoor presents many challenges with so many returning starters,” Stevenson coach Bill McNamara said. “Offensively, they’re explosive. We need to eliminate big plays and make them work for every yard.”
H-F opened its season with a 56-15 win over Downers Grove South. Stevenson, which began the season with a 26-24 win over Palatine, has a much different look this season. Gone are quarterback Willie Bourbon and receiver Cameron Green, among many others.
Jack Sorenson moves from receiver to quarterback this year. He left last week’s game early with an injury but is slated to start on Friday. Aidan O’Connell won the game in his stead, throwing three touchdown passes. Running back Tyler Vincent is back, although he’s not starting both ways as he did in the state title game. Vincent ran for 89 yards and caught six passes for 69 yards last week.
Vincent is the lone back as McNamara will deploy four receivers Friday. Connor Crawley, Henry Marchese, Michael Marchese and Matt Norton get the nod. Henry Marchese caught six passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns last week.
There are even more new faces on defense for the Patriots. Ten seniors started the state title game on defense, along with Vincent, but it’s an entirely new cast this year.
“We have a very talented group of upcoming juniors and sophomores,” McNamara said. “Although on paper we have only eight returning starters, we have closer to 15 players with quality game experience. We had a great offseason and recognize that staying healthy is important if you want to make a long run in the playoffs.”
- Paul Johnson, CN100 Correspondent

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