Senior running back Alex Pasiewicz scored four touchdowns and Zion-Benton’s defense played well as the Zee-Bees dented the win column for the first time this season by beating host Mundelein 32-18 on Friday night.
Pasiewicz scored on a 32-yard run in the second quarter to break a scoreless tie and his 25-yard touchdown burst early in the third period gave Zion a 12-3 lead. He tallied on an 11-yard run on the final play of the third quarter to make it 20-3 and put Z-B in total command.
In the fourth quarter, Zion’s Kealin McLean picked off Mundelein freshman Gavin Graves and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown to make it 26-3.
Graves then hooked up with Luke Adams on a 58-yard scoring strike to make it 26-10 in the late going.
Pasiewicz then ran 58 yards for his final score of the game, which offset a late Mundelein touchdown by Nick Devito on a one-yard run.
Both teams started slow offensively, though it was Z-B that struck first.
After a scoreless quarter, the Zee-Bees were the first on the board, as Pasiewicz raced to the end zone with 4:16 to play in the half.
The drive took just one play, coming after a poor punt set up the Zee-Bees in great field position.
Mundelein countered, marching 59 yards in nine plays before the drive stalled. In the closing seconds of the half, Ryan Rubio booted a 31-yard field goal to make it 6-3.
But after the break, Zion took the second-half kickoff and drove 66 yards in eight plays, with Pasiewicz delivering the points.
For the game, Pasiewicz carried 26 times for 274 yards and the four scores.
Zion-Benton’s sophomore quarterback Dillon Appenzeller completed 2-of-13 passes for 17 yards and an interception.
Mundelein’s freshman quarterback Graves completed 9-of-23 passes for 171 yards, with one TD and two picks. Chance Lindsey caught four balls for 36 yards. Quintell Wilson rushed 12 times for 48 yards.
Next week, Zion-Benton will play at Lake Forest, which is 3-0 on the field but forfeited to Lake Zurich on Friday due to a teachers strike.