Foresters Rout Concordia 52-10 in Season Opener
Urlacher and Fitzgerald score two touchdowns each in the win
  

Mike Fitgerald caught eight passes for 76 yards and a pair of TD's...all in the first half.

Junior quarterback Don Lackey (Lindenhurst, IL/Antioch) opened the season on a strong note for the Foresters by completing thirteen of thirty passes for a total of 114 yards. Lackey also threw two touchdowns, both to senior wide receiver Mike Fitzgerald (Aurora, CO/Kent). Fitzgerald finished the contest with a total of eight receptions for 76 yards. Senior linebacker Casey Urlacher (Lovington, NM/Lovington) provided a spark on both ends of the field. Urlacher carried the ball twice for 11 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon, and also led the Forester defense with seven tackles.

The Foresters scored on their third drive of the afternoon on one of the two touchdown passes from Lackey to Fitzgerald. The drive started with a 14-yard run by sophomore running back Marty Quinn (Evergreen Park, IL/Mt. Carmel). Quinn ended the game with five carries for a total of 27 yards. The Foresters would strike again in the first period after a 30-yard rush by Lackey and two carries by junior running back Adam Niles (Lake Villa, IL/ Antioch). The drive ended with a 24-yard field goal by senior kicker Pat Dunne (Palos Heights, IL/Marist). Dunne also had a solid afternoon punting, finishing the game with four for a total of 148 yards. 

The second quarter featured the Foresters' defense. The period started with a sack by senior line backer Kevin Krabel (Oakland, IL/Oakland).  On Concordia's second drive, senior linebacker Ian Thompson (Park Forest, IL/Rich East) recorded the Foresters' second sack of the quarter. Then Lake Forest sophomore David Bleitner (St. Louis, MO/ Vianney) notched his second fumble recovery of the quarter with nearly 13 minutes remaining in the half, and returned the ball 14 yards for the score. Finally, Urlacher completed the Foresters' third sack of the quarter when the Preseason All-American sacked Concordia's Mike Young for a loss of eight yards. 

About half-way through the third quarter, sophomore defensive back Chris Polizzi (Great Barrington, MA/Williston) intercepted a Concordia pass and returned it 53 yards for the touchdown.

Sophomore quarterback A.J. Rodino (Elkhart, IN/Elkhart Memorial) replaced Lackey on the next Forester possession and carried the ball on back-to-back plays for rushes of 30 and 12 yards. That drive would end in a 15-yard touchdown run by Niles, his longest carry and only touchdown on the afternoon.The quarter ended with three rushes by running back Bill McMahon (North Andover, MA/Brooks School). The freshman ended with a team high of 11 rushes for 59 yards. 

The Foresters finished the game with a total of 21 first downs, with 14 of them via the running game. Lake Forest rushed for 222 yards and passed for 138. The home team had one safety with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter, and a total of three sacks for 25 yards.

Farwell Field will be the site of the Foresters' first Midwest Conference game when they will take on Grinnell. Kickoff time is at 1:30.

By Franklyn Beckford
Edited by Mike Wajerski

Box Score