Bears Tame Mustangs, 41-7

In 41-7 victory over NSC Lake conference rivals Mundelein (0-5), the game played out pretty much as expected: the Bears jumped out to an early lead, scoring touchdowns on their second and third possessions of the game, and the offense kept the pedal to the metal while the defense clamped down almost every time the Mustangs showed a glimmer moving the ball downfield.

And while quarterback Zach Till is starting to heat up and throw the ball more, he insists that it’s not because of a preconceived plan between him and offensive coordinator Brett Pearlman or coach Bryan Stortz.

“The game plan isn’t to pass the ball more this week more than last,” said Till. “It’s just about reacting to game situations and seeing where the other team’s defense takes you. It’s really just about reacting and doing whatever will work best against the team you’re playing, whether it’s passing or running the ball.”

Starting on their own 45-yard line on their second possession, the Bears (4-1) strung together three running plays, including a 15-yard burst by Connor Schrader that was sandwiched between two short gainers by Till. Till then found Jack Lynn open for a 28-yard touchdown pass, as he hauled in an over-the-shoulder catch and never broke stride while rambling into the end zone.

Mundelein did start to move the ball downfield on their next possession, including an 8-yard run by L.D. Frison and quarterback Gable Leppert’s 23-yard strike to Drew Malcolm. But Lynn subsequently stopped Frison at the line with a vicious tackle and Drew Pavlovich then stuffed him in the backfield on the play after that. When Colton Moskal tackled Leppert for a no-gainer on third down, the Mustangs were forced to punt.

The Bears went right back to work, penetrating Mundelein’s defensive line and exploiting all of its weak points. Starting at their own 30-yard line after a 15-yard punt return by John Orlando, the Bears quickly reached midfield after a 14-yard run by Till. Till then connected again with Lynn on a short flare, and Lynn took off, motoring into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown.

Lynn’s two touchdowns demonstrated his soft hands and superior acceleration. Which begs the question for the Minnesota-bound senior: Is this guy even more of a threat as a wide receiver than as a middle linebacker? Maybe the Gophers will have to consider using him as a two-way player.

“I was getting some nice openings tonight, so I just took advantage,” said Lynn. “We were getting good reads all night.”

Lake Zurich upped their lead to 21-0 in the second quarter on a drive that started at their own 16-yard line. After running for 10 yards, Till connected with Jake Stauner for 27 yards as the Bears moved into Mustangs territory. Till then ran two more plays, for 14 and 11 yards. Schrader then ran three consecutive plays from 11 yards out, the last a 1-yard leap over the middle and into the end zone for a 21-0 Lake Zurich lead.

Lake Zurich scored once more before the half. Orlando actually ran the ball back on a Mundelein punt late in the quarter, but the ball was called back to the Bears’ 48-yard line after an illegal block. Mike Shield took off on the first play of the ensuing drive for a 25-yard run. Till then hit a wide-open Zach Johnson with a nicely thrown pass, but Johnson couldn’t hang on. It was one of three passes that he dropped during the game.

After getting sacked, Till hit Lynn in stride once again for a 16-yard completion. He then nailed Jake Stauner in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Bears a 28-0 lead at halftime.

The Bears kept up the pace starting the third quarter, scoring again on their first possession. After Orlando ran the kickoff to Lake Zurich’s 47-yard line, Till hit his target du jour Lynn for a 21-yard completion, as Lynn hauled in a pass that nearly sailed over his head. Shield then ran the ball four straight times, the last a pitch-out from Till, who ran it in from four yards out for the fifth Bears touchdown of the night. Mike Leiva missed the extra point — the first time of the year he’s failed — giving Lake Zurich a 34-0 lead.

John Orlando, who had an impressive 135 return yards on the night, then ran the ball back to the Mustangs' 35-yard line to start the Bears' sixth and final drive into the end zone. It was all Connor Schrader on the ensuing offensive series, as he ran five consecutive times, the last a 1-yard push for his second touchdown of the evening.

The Bears started bringing in second-stringers, giving some of their starters the rest of the night off with the game out of reach for Mundelein. The Mustangs finally got on the board by scoring a touchdown on their first drive of the fourth quarter. The big play was a 22-yard touchdown pass by Leppert to Malcolm, the best offensive play by the Mustangs in what was otherwise a very long night for them.

Bears Pause: Zach Till followed up his solid game versus Lakes last week by going 9-for-17 and 160 yards against Mundelein with three touchdowns. Mike Shield rushed for 75 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Connor Schrader had a pair of touchdowns to go with 60 yards rushing on 10 carries. Forty-seven of John Orlando’s 135 return yards were on a kickoff run-back. Lake Zurich held the Mustangs to 140 yards — 103 passing and 37 rushing. The Bears had a total of 380 yards.

Next Up: The Bears play host Libertyville in the second of three straight road games.