Unfortunately for the Buffalo Grove football team, a winning 2014 season has been tempered a bit.
The Bison were one of the 5-4 schools that didn’t qualify for the IHSA playoffs, their 32 playoff points below the cutoff of 39.
“For us it’s disappointing,” Buffalo Grove coach Michael DiMatteo said. “We really played hard. A group of guys that overachieved. I’m really proud of them.”
It was quite a leap up from the 2-7 finish in 2013.
Buffalo Grove had its chances to make it to 6-3, including a heartbreaker against Conant on Sept. 12. The Bison fell behind the Cougars 28-0, only to make a remarkable comeback to grab a 31-28 lead in the fourth quarter. But Conant drove down the field and found the end zone with two seconds left for a 35-31 victory.
Buffalo Grove did show its mettle in tight contests, winning three by a touchdown or less, including a dramatic 21-20 victory over Elk Grove on Sept. 26. Buffalo Grove finished 3-2 in the Mid Suburban East, tied for third.
“We didn’t have the type of team that was going to beat anybody by two or three scores,” DiMatteo said. “We’re just a bunch of blue collar, hard-working guys that had to earn everything we got.”
Some of those hard workers included senior John Maddox, who played safety, running back and when junior quarterback Trey Cervantes went down with a broken arm, filled in at quarterback. Maddox netted 688 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. Cervantes worked his way back from injury to play the final 2.5 games. He recorded seven touchdowns while throwing for 1,039 yards.
“John was all over the field doing everything for us,” DiMatteo said. “Trey came back three weeks after surgery. He was pretty good, especially against Wheeling [a 14-10 win in the final game], but he had to get back his groove.”
In addition to senior running back Dan Levato, the entire senior offensive line was lauded by DiMatteo, with Joe Biagi at left tackle, Rick Strba at left guard, Anthony Barra snapping the ball, Tommy Johns at right guard and Aaron Schubert at right tackle. They helped keep defenses off guard with a balanced attack that produced 1,241 yards passing and 1,011 yards rushing.
Defensively, DiMatteo praised the play of linebacker Jake Mueller, who led the team with 92 tackles.
“Jake was just outstanding,” DiMatteo said.
Other stalwarts, all seniors, included defensive linemen Miguel Martinez, Alex Horvat and Brendan McKinney.
“We’re going to have to replace a lot of guys,” DiMatteo said, looking ahead to next season.
In addition to Cervantes, current junior receiver Nolan Fortman and sophomore receiver Jimmy Trieb will play a key role. DiMatteo will also be counting on several of his players from this year’s sophomore team. Buffalo Grove will continue to be option-football oriented again next year.
“I’m hoping some of our freshmen who will be sophomores will be able to respond,” DiMatteo said. “Hopefully we’ve gotten to the point that Buffalo Grove football will be competitive year in and year out.”
