The Rockford area's top performances from Week 1 of the high school football season
Week 1 of the high school football season is here.
Each week, the Rockford Register Star will take a look at the top-performing teams and players from Friday night games across the Rockford area.
Here is our list for Week 1, including NIC-10 performers from Saturday's games:
All the scoresScores, schedule from around the Rockford area in Week 1
Chandler Alderman, North Boone
Alderman completed 12 passes for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns, but North Boone fell 20-14 to Lutheran to start the season. The area's top returning passer also had 15 incompletions and was sacked six times.
Braden Engel, Stillman Valley
Engel ran eight times for 64 yards, 55 in the second half as Stillman Valley locked in a 15-7 overtime victory over Byron.
Hayden Inman, Rochelle
In his first varsity start, Inman, a senior quarterback, completed 4 of his 8 passes for 74 yards with 2 TDs to lead Rochelle past Woodstock 14-7. He also distributed the ball nicely as the Hubs' 3-headed backfield of Garrett Gensler (18 carries for 100 yards), Trey Taft (13 carries for 62 yards rushing and a 39-yard TD catch) and Cody Stover-Cullum (10 rushes for 51 yards) ground up 213 yards.
Johnny Kobler, Forreston
Kobler, a converted lineman to fullback, rushed for 120 yards on 12 carries with 2 TDs during Forreston's 44-14 win over Stockton.
Aiden Livingston, Stillman Valley
Livingston made a game-clinching interception on fourth down in Stillman Valley's 15-7 win over Byron.
AJ Mulcahy, Durand/Pecatonica
Mulcahy averaged 14.7 yards per carry during Du/Pec's 53-6 win over West Carroll while rushing for 235 yards on 16 carries. Five of those rushes went for touchdowns, all in the first half, including four in the second quarter. Mulcahy also had three tackles and an interception on defense.
Porter Needs, Stillman Valley
Needs had 74 yards on the ground and the game-winning 3-yard TD in overtime as Stillman Valley beat Byron 15-7.
Kaleb Sanders, Forreston
Sanders was dominant on both sides of the ball during Forreston's 44-14 win over Stockton, rushing for 114 yards on just 11 carries, and notching six tackles, including two for loss. Forreston rushed for 451 yards as a team, while holding Stockton to just 135 yards of total offense.
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Jack Washburn, Oregon
Washburn aired it out during a 34-6 loss to Dixon, completing 23 of his 37 passes for 170 yards and one TD. His 5-yard touchdown pass to Austin Egyed cut the Dixon lead to 7-6 early, but the Dukes took off from there.
Jake Zeal, Lena-Winslow
Zeal and the Panthers steamrolled past Eastland/Pearl City 60-6, and the senior was a big reason why. Zeal rushed for 122 yards and a TD on just seven carries and had a 35-yard touchdown catch. His big reception helped Le-Win build a 52-6 first-half lead.
Joseph Brown, Belvidere North
Brown touched the ball eight times in the first half and each time gave North a first down in taking an 18-point halftime lead on the way to an eventual 45-14 win over Freeport. He ran five times for 55 yards and a TD, converting three times on third down. He also made a diving, one-handed catch for 18 yards, made an interception to stop Freeport's third drive, and returned the opening kickoff to the 48 to jump-start North's first TD drive. He began cramping after returning the second-half kickoff and played only defense from that point. Nico Bertolino added 106 yards and two TDs for North.
Aiden Montes, Belvidere North
The star kicker had six extra points, four touchbacks and a 24-yard field goal with one second left in the first half against Freeport. His other kickoff, into the wind, reached the 2.
Denarius Jackson, Freeport
He ran for 90 yards on 18 carries in a 45-14 loss to Belvidere North. Teammate Dedric Mason added 52 yards and a touchdown for the Pretzels.
Cole Warren, Hononegah
Warren completed 10 of 15 passes for 181 yards and three TDs in Hononegah's 35-22 win over Jefferson.
Luke Poppe, Hononegah
Poppe ran 12 times for 102 yards and a TD in Hononegah's 35-22 win over Jefferson.
Sebastian Bracius, Jefferson
Bracius, a sophomore quarterback, completed 10 of 22 passes for 177 yards in Jefferson's 35-22 loss to Hononegah. He threw two long touchdown passes of 69 and 37 yards.
Jayvon Jones, Guilford
Jones ran for 101 yards and a TD on 12 carries in Guilford's 32-0 victory over Belvidere.
Connor Dennis, Boylan
The junior quarterback completed 8 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two TDs in Boylan's 40-0 victory over East.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: IHSA football: Top performers from the Rockford IL area for Week 1
