3 things we learned from the first week of high school football in the Rockford area
The 2023 IHSA football season kicked off this past week and all of the teams from the Rockford area got the ball rolling, with plenty pulling out key season-opening victories.
While not every opening game will prove key down the stretch, many will, and most coaches believe that every game counts.
And everybody believes in momentum.
So here are some of the key takeaways from the Week 1 games.
High school football roundup: How Rockford-area teams performed in Week 1
High-powered BNC offenses shut each other out
When North Boone traveled to Oregon for Friday night's season opener, it was touted as the battle of two of the most potent offenses in the Big Northern Conference, and, more specifically, the conference's two best passing attacks.
It was seen as a chance for a shootout, but it turned into a defensive battle that was scoreless until the second possession of the second overtime. That's when Oregon sealed the deal on its 6-0 double-OT win.
"It was crazy, and not crazy in the way I expected," Oregon head coach Broc Kundert said. "Even I thought this was going to be two high-powered offenses going at it."
Oregon managed 142 yards rushing, 139 of those coming from Logan Weems, but just 27 passing yards as Jack Washburn completed just 3 of 12. North Boone's Jack Christensen was 15-for-35 for 164 yards, on the other side, but he threw two interceptions on Oregon's side of the field, including in the second overtime to set up the game-winner.
Football standouts: Lutheran RB, Hononegah QB lead Rockford area's top football performers from Week 1
"We've worked so hard to close the gap on teams like North Boone, and the rest," Kundert said. "We're really excited to see what else this brings."
Oregon hosts Dixon next Friday.
Run game goes to the air
One team that has leaned heavily on the run game for decades went to the air in its season opener. And that was not in a late-game, come-from-behind situation.
What does it mean? We shall see.
The Rochelle Hubs, a notoriously run-heavy wishbone attack, used junior quarterback Carson Lewis' arm a lot early on as they built an insurmountable lead. Lewis went 8-for-13 for 102 yards, and that came in a 40-0 rout of Woodstock.
Punter proves key in Harlem win
While it may not have been a big momentum-building win, Harlem pulled off a 12-6 season-opening win over Auburn that could prove key later in the year. And one of the Huskies' MVPs may be their punter.
Sophomore punter Chandler Jack set up two of Harlem’s three safeties with punts downed at the Auburn 1- and 3-yard lines. His other punt went to the Auburn 12. His three punts netted 45, 41 and 41 yards.
That was basically the only close game in the NIC-10 season openers played on Friday night. Boylan beat up on East 24-0; Guilford hammered Belvidere 28-0; and Hononegah stomped on Jefferson 55-7.
Freeport was set to host Belvidere North at noon Saturday.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: 3 things we learned in Week 1 of high school football around Rockford
