Rolling Meadows rolls, ends Maine West’s 14-game regular season winning streak

DES PLAINES – Rolling Meadows entered Friday’s football game at Maine West as the winningest team in the Mid-Suburban East.

The Mustangs (3-1) finished the night with that same distinction as they went wire-to-wire with a 38-7 triumph that ended the Warriors’ 14-game regular season winning streak.

Junior Arman Lepuzanovic scored three touchdowns (all in the first half) and had one of the Mustangs’ four interceptions, giving him four TDs and three interceptions in the first four games.

“I studied film all week and we practiced well all week,” Lepuzanovic said. “We really went into detail and that’s why we are winning games like this. I’ve got to give props to (head) coach (Robbie) Gould, my receivers coach and the whole team. It’s just a team effort at the end of the day. It’s all about the team.”

Lepuzanovic finished with 160 yards receiving and 54 rushing to help spark the offense directed by QB Quincy Johnson, who was 13-of-18 for 265 yards and four touchdowns.

The Mustangs now have more wins than all of last year (2-7).

“We’re just trying to go 8-1 and take back the MSL like in the old days,” Lepuzanovic said. “I think it’s just great game-planning by coach Gould and our coaching staff. The coaches are putting out a great game plan every week and the players are executing. That’s why we are winning these games.”

Lepuzanovic’s first TD came when he took the handoff following a fake up the middle and raced down the east sidelines 54 yards for the 7-0 lead following Anthony Polenzani’s extra point with 5:34 left in the first quarter.

Lepuzanovic then caught a pair of touchdown passes from Johnson in the second quarter. The first was for 60 yards when he got wide open in the Warriors’ secondary and raced unscathed to the end zone for the 14-0 lead with 10:27.

Johnson found his wide receiver again with a beautiful 48-yard bomb that made it 21-0 with 4:52 left to half.

Maine West (3-1) found the end zone late in the first half on Tely Litas’ 35-yard pass to Dante Hicks (to complete a 67-yard march which started with a 47-yard pass to Hicks. Luka Spasojevic’s kick made it 21-7 at intermission.

Polenzani’s 31-yard field goal with 9:16 left in the third quarter boosted the Mustangs’ lead to 24-7

With time to throw behind linemen David Prado, Noah Brickman, Liam Riley, Om Varma and Devyn Armstong, Johnson fired a 6-yard TD pass to Keeling Murray to complete a 59-yard drive and stretch the lead to 31-7 with 10:06 left in the game.

After senior Dylan Moran’s second interception, the Mustangs got the ball in Warriors’ territory and scored in three plays when Johnson threw a 33-yard TD strike to Jake Harvey with 8:11 left to make it 38-7.

Moran also had a big fumble recovery when Meadows was trying to get into the end zone at the 1-yard late in the first quarter.

The Mustangs, who also got an interception from Matt Sansonetti, have won three games in a row since an opening loss at Pekin.

“I think it’s just started with learning how to win,” Gould said. “We got down real early at Pekin and I don’t know if the kids were ready to respond to that. Now they understand what it takes to win. They’ve gotten their feet wet a little bit. Yeah, it stings to not to get that first win (at Pekin) but I’m proud of how the kids are learning.”

Maine West coach George Klupchak would like to see his team get off to better starts.

“This has become a trend,” he said. “In four games we haven’t had very good first halves, particularly on the offensive side. When we get that corrected we’re going to be in really good shape.

“Hats off to Rolling Meadows. They played really physical, They ran the ball really well from start to finish. If we’re able to start the game better, I think it makes it a little easier for us to have more success to stop the run.

“We have a ton of potential. I have no doubt we are going to come back tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. with the mindset that we need to get better and we will get better.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240920/prep-football/rolling-meadows-snaps-maine-wests-14-game-regular-season-win-streak/