High school football: RBs Casey Dycus, Collin Mergl have Woodstock North rolling

Three games into the season, Woodstock North has beaten its opponents by a combined 155-7.

It won’t be so easy this week.

Woodstock North (3-0, 1-0 Kishwaukee River Conference) travels to Marengo (3-0, 1-0) in what will be the Thunder’s first big test in the new conference. Woodstock North is tasked with stopping an Indians offense averaging 38 points a game.

“We know that they are capable of scoring a lot of points on any defense they face,” Woodstock North coach Jeff Schroeder said. “If our kids play to the best of their abilities, we’re hoping good things will happen.”

Good things have happened thus far.

The Thunder have cruised to wins over UIC College Prep, Round Lake and Harvard, largely behind the play of running backs Casey Dycus and Collin Mergl.

Dycus has rushed for 501 yards and eight touchdowns. Mergl is not far behind at 421 yards and seven touchdowns. Mergl, a junior, is averaging 17.5 yards a carry.

“Our linemen have been doing so much work,” Dycus said. “When we’re making perfect reads and the linemen are moving people up front, that’s definitely key to our offense.”

The offensive line deserves its share of the credit. Lee Thomas, Zach Schau, Justin McAleese, Brian Kline and Dylan Martinez have been on the starting unit, along with tight end Nick Kuretski. Martinez, McAleese, Thomas, Schau and Kuretski all returned with at least some starting experience from last year.

“The experience they had last year, it only made them better,” Mergl said. “They execute that to the best of their ability. I can’t give them enough credit.”

Mergl is finding his stride in the backfield after beginning the 2015 season as the starting quarterback. He suffered a season-ending broken left ankle in Week 6 last year.

Over the summer, his coaches suggested he move to running back. Matt Zinnen, who replaced Mergl at the end of last year, has handled quarterbacking duties this season. Schroeder said he wanted to utilize two of his better athletes on the field at the same time.

“I’ve been at quarterback my whole life,” Mergl said. “I’m loving [playing running back], doing what I can to help the team out. It’s been smoother than I thought.”

Those 17.5 yards a carry indicate as much.

Dycus called Mergl an athletic runner, especially in the open field. Dycus himself said he has a personal motto he likes to hold himself to: “Whoever tries to tackle me is going to have to pay to take me down.”

The Marengo defense will have its hands full Friday. But so will Woodstock North’s.

Running back Jarren Jackson totaled 270 yards and six touchdowns against Woodstock last week. Quarterback Eric Mackey is 35-for-64 passing for 613 yards and six touchdowns.

“They are balanced; your kids up front have got to maintain their ground,” Schroeder said. “With Jackson, you have to relentlessly pursue him. He’s extremely slippery. They’re just really good at throwing the long ball, you’ve got to maintain deep coverage.”

It’s early yet, but the winner of Friday’s matchup will have a chance to make a run at the conference title. Both teams still have a shot at unbeaten Johnsburg remaining on the schedule.

“It’s great competition (in the KRC),” Mergl said. “We’ve just got to prepare and come to play.”