The Libertyville varsity football squad picked up its first victory of the season Friday, defeating the Elk Grove Grenadiers 55-28.

The Cats were led by Northwestern commit Riley Lees, who tied his own school record of six touchdowns in only about three quarters of play. The quarterback Lees picked up 313 yards on 19 rushing attempts and added 130 yards in the air on 10-of-19 attempts. After a quick stop by the defense, Lees took the ball 72 yards to the end zone, scoring on the very first offensive possession of the season.

Lees added three more rushing TDs before halftime, along with a three-yard score by senior RB Noah Moderwell. The Cats were able to cruise through this contest with relative ease, leading 35-7 at the half and at one point, they were up by 34 points.

The Wildcats’ defense also showed up in a big way, forcing several turnovers and stuffing the Grenadiers’ offense in the backfield. Senior defensive end Ben Kimpler and senior linebacker Ryan Maher both had crowd-pleasing tackles, and Kimpler recovered a fumble. Senior defensive back Carter Olson intercepted what would have been a potential touchdown in the end zone.

Elk Grove, who suffered through a tough 0-9 season last year, put together a good effort, but was ultimately overmatched by a talented Libertyville team. Led by new head coach John Sigmund, the Grenadiers did not give up in this contest and scored multiple times in the 3rd quarter despite trailing 41-7.

Next Week’s Matchup: Libertyville Wildcats (1-0) at Lake Forest Academy Caxys (0-1)
The Wildcats will face the Caxys next week on the road on Saturday at noon. The Cats defeated Lake Forest Academy at home last year, winning 37-7. LFA has its fair share of talented players, headlined by the Penn State commit Daniel Joseph and the 6-foot-7, 245-pound Thomas Shaffer.