CN100 Game of the Week preview: Football Week 5 - Homewood-Flossmoor vs. Lincoln-Way East

FRANKFORT – The top-heavy Southwest Suburban Blue should start to come into better focus in the next few weeks, and Friday’s game between Homewood-Flossmoor and Lincoln-Way East will help provide some of that clarity.
The game will be broadcast by CN100, The Comcast Network, at Noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, and at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29. You can also find the game throughout Chicagoland with Xfinity On Demand.
These are two of the four teams in the Southwest Suburban Blue sitting at 3-1 through four weeks. These two teams and Bolingbrook are all 2-0 in conference play, as well. Joliet West is also 3-1, but H-F beat them 41-0 two weeks ago and West faces Bolingbrook this week.
H-F’s one defeat was a 33-24 loss to top-ranked Stevenson that took two days to complete due to storms. But aside from that, the Vikings have been dominant with a largely junior group of skill position players. Their point differential so far is 182-33.
Junior quarterback Bryce Gray triggers the offense, going 40-for-61 for 669 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He spreads the ball around, with highly-touted senior tight end James Sheehan leading the team with 11 catches for 216 yards and three touchdowns. Junior receiver Kendric Pryor has 10 catches for 238 yards and four touchdowns.
Twin running backs, juniors Devonte Harley-Hampton and Deante Harley-Hampton, are active in the passing game as well as splitting carries in the backfield and even playing defense.
Devonte tallied 270 yards and five touchdowns, along with 10 catches for 71 yards and a score in the season’s opening month. Deante’s 268 yards and three touchdowns go with six catches for 87 yards and a TD.
Defensively, the team leaders in tackles come from all three levels of the defense. Linemen Zachary Eastling and Kaylen Luna combined for 22 tackles and four tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Justin Chu has 11 tackles and an interception, with senior defensive back Matt Dwyer contributing 10 tackles and a pick.
Lincoln-Way East escaped last week with a 28-25 win over winless Lockport, but the Griffins appear poised to reach the postseason for the 14th straight year and have appeared in the postseason every season since establishing a varsity program.
The passing game is explosive behind senior quarterback Mike Weller, who is 65-of-113 for 715 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. On the ground, he’s rushed for 99 yards and three scores. Senior receiver Paul Gossage is one of the best in the area, with 32 catches for 347 yards and three scores. Junior running back Liam Morrissey has contributed 511 yards and nine touchdowns already, while senior receiver John Zelenika snagged 15 catches for 171 yards.
The linebackers and defensive backs anchor the defense. Senior linebackers Luke Epich and Brad Toepfer have combined for 70 tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. Senior defensive back Deji Olaleye and junior DB Jayison McCorkle have added 71 tackles of their own.
Lincoln-Way East’s lone loss came to unbeaten Oak Park-River Forest in Week 1, giving the Griffins three straight wins. Coach Rob Zvonar carries a 127-31 record since the program’s inception, including a championship in 2005.
- Paul Johnson, CN100 Correspondent

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