With a roster laden with sophomores and juniors, Kaneland football coach Tom Fedderly was worried about how his team would react when faced with an early 7-0 deficit to Huntley on Friday night.
Turns out, he didn't have to worry a bit. Sophomore running back Jesse Balluff broke loose on a 47-yard touchdown run just a minute after Huntley scored, and sophomore quarterback Drew David threw four touchdown passes as the Knights improved to 2-0 with a 34-13 win.
“It was nice to see the kids respond the way they did,” Fedderly said. “We came back with a couple of quick scores after we fell behind and that got the momentum going.”
After Huntley scored on a 33-yard run by Ethan Connor, Kaneland’s Quinn Buschbacher returned the ensuing kickoff 26 yards to midfield. After a 3-yard gain, Balluff ran a sweep to the right. The Huntley defense appeared to have it strung out perfectly, pinning Balluff against the sideline. Suddenly, he made a move and emerged from the pack, outrunning the defense for a 47-yard score.
“I don’t know who he ran over or around, but all of a sudden, there he was heading for the pylon,” Fedderly said. “That will do wonders for his confidence.”
Kaneland’s Jacob Razo then recovered a fumble, setting the Knights up at the Huntley 28. On third-and-13, David hit Sean Carter over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
After a scoreless second quarter, Kaneland’s offense caught fire in the third.
On the Knights’ first possession, Balluff ripped off a 26-yard gain before David and Carter combined for a 40-yard touchdown. Zach Theis recovered a fumble at the Huntley 13, and David hit Buschbacher for a 13-yard touchdown on the next play.
On the Knights’ next drive, which started at their own four-yard line, David hit Buschbacher for gains of 20 and 56 yards on consecutive plays, setting up a 10-yard TD pass to Kyle Pollastrini on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“My offensive line did a good job of protecting me,” David said. “And the receivers were getting open. They were open in the first half, too, but I missed some of my throws. I just got hot in the second half and was able to hit them.”
David was 11 of 19 for 225 yards, while Balluff gained 90 yards on eight carries. Carter caught three passes for 72 yards and two TDs, while Buschbacher had five catches for 101 yards and a score. Huntley's Connor ran for 135 yards on 16 carries.
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