Football: Hinsdale Central Blanks St. Charles North in Opener

Breaking it Down: avoided a repeat of last season’s overtime thriller with a consistent offensive attack on the ground and the air over the weekend. Jack Adams ran for two touchdowns for the Red Devils in the first half and helped them control the clock.

Brian Owens took over in the second half a with a 38-yard strike to receiver Ian Bunting in the third quarter and a two-yard quarterback sneak in the fourth to put the game permanently out of reach. St. Charles North recovered a first-quarter fumble and made a couple of red zone stops on defense, but weren’t able to capitalize on offense. 

Patch’s MVP: Brian Owens, Hinsdale Central. Owens had a strong command on offense, going 10-of-20 passing for 196 yards with a 38-yard TD pass. He also had five rushes for 32 yards, including his two-yard QB sneak in the fourth quarter.

Hinsdale Central Stat Pack: Jack Adams ran for 105 yards on 17 carries with two first-half touchdowns. Ian Bunting had two receptions for 84 yards. Joe Herr had 67 yards on 13 carries. 

St. Charles North Stat Pack: Zachary Kirby had four receptions for 55 yards. Fabian Lara recovered a fumble on defense and almost had an interception on two consecutive red zone plays in the second quarter. 

Quotable I: Hinsdale Central QB Brian Owens: “It was our first game and everyone’s a little nervous. But we made some really nice plays. I’m happy with our start.” 

Quotable II: St. Charles North coach Mark Gould: “We’ve got to run the ball a lot better, but we did some nice things tonight. Our team’s gonna get a lot better.” 

Team Records: Hinsdale Central is 1-0. St. Charles North is 0-1. 

What’s Next: Hinsdale Central plays at Leyden on Aug. 31. St. Charles North plays at Plainfield Central on Aug. 31. 

Scores of Interest: Hinsdale South matched Hinsdale Central with a 39-0 shutout against Romeoville. St. Charles East fell to Cary Grove, 49-33. For more scores, go to the IHSA scorezeone.