Recapping Friday night's football action

Justin Kalusa took the snaps Friday against Neuqua Valley, replacing fellow senior Jeff Saurbaugh. The results weren't always pretty in a 38-12 loss, but coach Matt Gehrig hopes the switch pays off in the long run.

"I was proud of Justin's first start," Gehrig said. "We're going to keep getting better in all the other areas and with all the fundamentals as a team so we have a chance of making the playoffs. That's our goal. We're looking to get to 5-4, and all the kids are coming to practice with that in mind."

The quarterback move makes sense for a lot reasons.

First of all, Kalusa is an extremely talented athlete who combines a strong arm with significant speed to create a serious dual threat for opponents.

For Saurbaugh, the switch allows him to move to tailback, where he'll line up alongside Kalusa in Larkin's new-look shotgun formation. Gehrig thinks Saurbaugh is well suited for the role, and that was clear as the selfless player consistently made key blocks for Kalusa when Kalusa looked to run.

"Jeff is a great back and is a very tough runner with good speed," Gehrig said. "He's also a tough kid. He's one of the guys in the weight room all the time and he can do some things that are physical."

Meanwhile, speedy junior Jalen Williams can move from tailback to receiver thanks to the move. That allows Larkin to keep defenses off balance by sending Williams in motion on some plays. As a receiver, Williams becomes more versatile as he can come around for a reverse, catch a screen pass or take off downfield to catch a deep ball.

The switch also helps alleviate the load on senior Brandon Cooks and other key defensive players who were previously seeing significant time on both sides of the ball.

"It just makes sense all around," Gehrig said. "We just feel like this gives us more flexibility in different positions on the field at one time. It's more guys for the defense to account for."

Several kinks will need to be worked out, like the problems Larkin had snapping the ball in the shotgun formation Friday. But expect the new look to go more smoothly in the coming weeks as the Royals play schools that aren't more than twice their size like Neuqua.

MOST IMPRESSIVE WIN
Hampshire deserves the nod in this category this week after going on the road and beating Richmond-Burton 21-11. The Whip-Purs look like their 0-3 start won't keep them from making a serious run at either a playoff spot or the Big Northern Conference East Division title.

BIGGEST SURPRISE
I didn't have much faith in Streamwood beating East Aurora, but the Sabres proved me wrong with an impressive 40-21 win. However, this doesn't get my surprise-of-the-week award because I should have given more stock to coach Cal Cummins and his squad. They've been working hard and making strides, and it finally paid off.

Instead, the biggest surprise goes to South Elgin, which overcame a two-hour bus ride and some unfamiliar territory to knock off previously unbeaten Thornton Fractional South 20-19. The Storm impressed by jumping out to a 20-0 lead and then showed even more character by withstanding a late charge by the Rebels.

South Elgin doesn't have an easy road the next three weeks with St. Charles North, St. Charles East and Waubonsie Valley on the schedule, but I won't be surprised if it pulls off an upset in one or two along the way.