By Maggie Devereux
Executive Sports Editor
The Knights came out ready to redeem themselves last Friday in their home opener against Fremd. After losing to York 34-21 the previous week, a more “disciplined” team took the field, according to coach Brent Pearlman.
After a lifeless first quarter, the Knights put points on the board with a touchdown less than two minutes into the second quarter. Then, after a fumble recovery deep in Fremd’s territory, the Knights scored again, making it 14-0 going into the second half.
After a 78-yard touchdown by Peter Bonahoom (195 yards, two touchdowns), Fremd tried to close the gap in the third quarter with a touchdown after a Prospect fumble deep in their own territory, making the score 21-7.
But the Knights weren’t letting the Vikings back in this one. They put seven
more on the board after a Bonahoom interception and a 63-yard drive followed by a 10-yard touchdown by quarterback Steve Dazzo.
“We were running the ball fairly well,” Pearlman said. Dazzo and Bonahoom ran for a combined 292 yards.
While running and turnovers filled the game, the defensive line played a key role. They limited Fremd to 108 passing yards and held the Vikings’ running back to 38 yards on 19 carries.
“What worked best for us was just simplifying what we do and just trying to do it well,” Pearlman said . “Defensively we tried to just stick with this team and go with it.”
The Knights victory put them at 1-1, while Fremd fell to 0-2. That makes the Vikings 0-2 for the first time in 20 years. The Knights travel to Hoffman Estates for their next game.