Sunny, hot weather, big crowds and even bigger performances highlighted a dominant preseason day for the Oak Forest Raiders.
OAK FOREST, IL — Burbank came to Oak Forest looking to test the Raiders in a preseason matchup, but by the end of the day, Oak Forest had swept the Titans across all five levels.
The day started with the Mighty Mites, who came out running and set the tone for what would become a memorable day at Oak Forest High School.
The Widgets followed with a convincing 36-6 victory. Head Coach George Shaw was pleased with the performance but wasn't ready to celebrate too much.
"It's nice, but we have some work to do. It's preseason."
And Shaw is right. The Raiders know the real games are still ahead, but the performance provided plenty of reasons for optimism.
Then came the defending Super Bowl Champion Pee Wees, who showed exactly why they are the team to beat. Oak Forest dominated Burbank 39-0, putting together a statement performance.
Head Coach Kevin Weber declined to comment after the game—but his smile said plenty. Weber was spotted humming a Pearl Jam song while watching his team celebrate another impressive performance.
The JV Raiders kept the momentum going, earning a 32-24 victory over Burbank. Burbank has some explosive throws that challenged the Raiders defense but couldn't keep up with the offensive fire power Coach Zoberis had today .
Then came the finale.
The Varsity Raiders dominated Burbank 43-0, finishing the day with a shutout and sending the Oak Forest faithful home happy.
A HOT DAY, A HOT CONCESSION STAND
It wasn't just the football teams that were busy.
On a sunny and extremely hot day at Oak Forest High School, the Raiders fans packed the area around the field, and the concession stand couldn't keep up with demand.
By the end of the day, the concession stand had sold out of everything.
Even Stan the Corn Man couldn't keep up.
Fans lined up all the way toward Long Avenue, waiting for a chance to get their hands on the famous corn. By the time the day was over, Stan was officially sold out.
It was a fitting ending to a day when nearly everything went the Raiders' way.
NEXT STOP: CRETE
The preseason is now in the rearview mirror, and the Raiders turn their attention to the regular season.
Next week, Oak Forest travels to Crete-Monee High School to take on the Crete Bulldogs.
The schedule:
The Raiders have plenty to clean up before opening the regular season, but if Sunday's performance was any indication, Oak Forest is ready to make some noise.
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