Huebner’s Three Touchdowns in Victory over Beloit Tie School Record
Senior wideout has six scores in just three games so far this year   

Jeff Huebner has caught five touchdown passes in two home games so far this season.

LAKE FOREST, IL – The Forester football team hosted and defeated Beloit College 28-12 Saturday (September 17) to remain perfect on the season at 3-0 overall and 2-0 in Midwest Conference play. The Buccaneers fell to 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the league. Lake Forest now owns a six-game winning streak and a 33-28-11 edge in the all-time series between the two programs.

The Forester special teams denied Beloit the first scoring opportunity of the game when it blocked a 32-yard field goal attempt. Two plays later, junior quarterback Matt Mahaney (West Chicago, IL/Addison Driscoll) found senior wide receiver Jeff Huebner (Antioch, IL/Antioch) open down the middle of the field and Huebner sprinted to the end zone for a career-long 79-yard touchdown.

The visitors responded with a 14-play, 76-yard scoring drive to tie the score at 6-6. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, freshman Kyle Wetzel (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) broke free and was finally brought down at the Beloit 3-yard line. After three unsuccessful running plays, the Foresters were forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal by sophomore Rocky Linder (Monee, IL/Marian Catholic) and the first period ended with the home team leading 9-6.

The Lake Forest offense needed just six plays on its next possession to reach the end zone again. Senior running back Andre Washington (West Palm Beach, FL/Benjamin) had four carries for 29 yards and Mahaney connected with Huebner for 18 and 28 yards, the latter completion for a touchdown.

Junior linebacker Ryan Gallegos (Plantation, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) ended the Bucs’ next drive with his first interception of the season and the first of six takeaways for the Forester defense in the game. The game was scoreless for the rest of the second quarter, which ended with the home team leading 15-9.

Lake Forest was forced to punt on its first possession of the second half but caught a break when the returner dropped the ball and sophomore safety Ed Kidd (Round Lake, IL/Buffalo Grove) recovered it at the Buccaneer 16. After a four-yard run by Washington, Mahaney hit Huebner in the end zone for his school record-tying third touchdown catch of the afternoon. Huebner finished the game with four receptions for 137 yards and the three scores. He leads the team with 17 catches for 394 yards and six touchdowns already this season. Mahaney completed his day with 195 passing yards and has 596 on the year. All six of his touchdowns in 2005 have gone to Huebner and he has yet to throw an interception in 75 pass attempts.

The Foresters started their next possession on their own 43-yard line. Washington carried the ball 16 yards on the first play and 30 on the second. After resting for one play, an incompletion, he finished off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown. Washington had 17 carries on the day for 110 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Beloit turned the ball over on five of its last six possessions of the game. Its final two drives of the third period ended with freshman safety Matt Lawler’s (Chicago, IL/St. Rita) first career interception and Kidd’s second fumble recovery of the afternoon. Gallegos recovered a fumble early in the fourth quarter and the Buccaneers’ only touchdown of the half was sandwiched around a pair of interceptions by senior cornerback Keith Hanson (Fairfax, VA/Vermont Academy). Gallegos and Kidd shared game-high honors with 13 tackles each and Lawler added 10 stops. Junior linebacker Louis Bertuca (Chicago, IL/Fenwick) was next on the team with eight tackles and added the squad’s only sack of the contest.

Lake Forest will travel to Ripon College next Saturday (September 24). The Foresters have won their last three games against the Red Hawks by a total of just nine points. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

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