Slowly but surely, the Zion-Benton community is starting to return to the showroom and demonstrate a willingness to kick the tires on the local high school’s football program.
It’s definitely not an all-out buzz about the Zee-Bees just yet but it is something, which beats the alternative in a sport in which silence is definitely not golden.
The only problem right now for Zion-Benton is that the team making some serious noise is the sophomore program. And with two wins by a combined score of about a zillion to zero, why not?
As for the Z-B varsity, it’s up to first-year coach Bob Moynihan’s team to play better and turn some eyeballs in their direction.
Saturday was a start. And then a stop. And then a start. And then a stop. And then, finally, an all-important late-game offensive start followed by a last-minute defensive stop that secured a 14-12 nonconference victory over rival Waukegan.
Both teams are now 1-1 and if either is going to get to the magical five-win total to become playoff eligible, it’s going take a lot better play than what was on the field at Waukegan.
To call the game an offensive struggle might be an insult to the word struggle.
Waukegan ran the ball 36 times and gained 68 total yards, and senior quarterback Melvin Bobo IV was 4-of-13 passing for 48 yards, a touchdown and two picks.
Zion-Benton had five total yards rushing on 28 tries, and QB Doug Gates was 13-of-26 for 115 yards, a pick and two touchdowns.
It was the second TD pass that decided the game, as it came in the final two minutes as Z-B, without any timeouts, was in all-or-nothing mode.
They got it all.
