Stevenson Football Picks Up Shutout in Homecoming Win

It was a good time for the defense to play its best game of the year.

With rival Libertyville in Lincolnshire for Homecoming, in front of a packed crowd the Patriots’ defense picked up the shutout to give the hosts a 13-0 North Suburban Lake win Friday night.

Senior running back Kevin Foley was the Patriots’ workhorse, carrying the ball 31 times for 130 yards and the game’s only touchdown. Foley rushed the ball 10 times on Stevenson’s opening drive and scored from three yards out on a run off the right tackle. 

Foley is still getting used to the big number of carries.

“I was actually injured for the first game and I just started doing it recently,” Foley said. “I’m loving it. It’s just fun. You get banged up a little, but that’s the game.”

From there, the Stevenson defense took over. The Wildcats managed just four first downs in the first half and didn’t move the ball inside the 40.

Matt Micucci made a 28-yard field goal late in the second quarter and the Patriots went into halftime up 10-0.

In the third quarter, a 23-yard quarterback keeper from Micucci (4 for 6 for 31 yards) put Stevenson inside the 10. The Patriots turned it over on a fumble the next play though.

Libertyville’s offense finally got moving in the fourth quarter after Micucci added another field goal. A 17-play drive put the visitors near the goal line, but sophomore Matt Morrissey broke up a pass on fourth-and-goal from the three to maintain the shutout.

On the next Libertyville drive, Nick Costantini sealed the game with an interception with less than four minutes remaining. Costantini was not shy about his feelings about Libertyville.

“I really hate Libertyville,” Constantini said. “Every game is so competitive. It’s just a great rivalry.” 

Joey Salata (9 carries for 37 yards) and Brian Swift (6 for 36) led the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) on the ground.

The Patriots (4-1, 3-0) have now won four in a row, but this is the biggest game they’ve played so far.

“This is huge,” wide receiver/cornerback Anthony Bozin said. “We’ve been waiting for this game all season.”

“We wanted to make sure we came out of this game winners,” Foley said. “We worked our butts off all summer. We just didn’t want to lose. This is a hard game and a huge rivalry.”

Stevenson plays at Lake Forest next week in another tough conference match up, but Foley thinks the team is playing well enough to keep the winning streak going.

“I think we’re starting to roll,” he said. “We’re just getting everything. Our defense is starting to flow, our offense is starting to flow. I love it.”