Sept. 06--Riley Lees didn't have to expend much energy Saturday afternoon, as he was done for the day before halftime.
But the Libertyville quarterback did have to rev it up a little on one play in particular: a 47-yard touchdown dash early in the second quarter of a 48-0 win at Lake Forest Academy.
"I missed the hole," said Lees, a Northwestern recruit, who juked past a few defenders before taking off down the right sideline. "It shouldn't have been that hard."
Apart from a three-and-out on their first possession, it was pretty much smooth sailing for the No. 11 Wildcats (2-0). They scored on six of their next seven possessions to open a 41-0 halftime lead and had touchdown passes from three quarterbacks.
Lees ran eight times for 71 yards and two scores and was 3-for-6 passing for 55 yards and two TDs, both to Cam Shaffer.
"We always joked about how he always got tackled at the 1, like six times last year," Lees said. "(On one of Saturday's scores), he was getting pushed at 2 and I thought, 'It's going to happen again.'
"But he pushed through. He did awesome today."
The game showcased three big-time prospects. Libertyville had Lees, while Lake Forest Academy (0-2) countered with Daniel Joseph, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound tight end/defensive lineman committed to Penn State, and Thomas Schaffer (6-7, 260), a two-way lineman with 21 major-college offers.
"Both of them are great players," Lees said. "They take up a lot of space. They did their job today. They got a little tired, you could tell. Going both ways took a toll."
Libertyville linebacker Cam Hays, who had two interceptions in the second quarter, got a look at Joseph from the other side of the ball.
"I knew their favorite target was No. 49 (Joseph)," Hays said. "So I looked for him on the field. I kind of knew the ball was going toward him, so I just made plays.
"He's definitely a good player, he's very physical. (But) we try not to get too hyped during the week, too scared of him or whatever."
mclark@tribpub.com
Player of the game: Riley Lees, Libertyville, 71 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 55 passing yards, 2 TDs.
Key performers: Libertyville -- Cam Hays, 2 INTs; Cam Shaffer, 2 catches, 50 yards, 2 TDs. Lake Forest Academy -- Daniel Joseph, blocked PAT.
