Lake Forest Takes Out Anger on Zion in Lopsided Homecoming Win

The rock band Aerosmith years ago wrote a song titled, "Don't Get Mad, Get Even."

If you watched the Lake Forest Scouts demolish the Zion Zee-Bees 41-13 Friday night, you would say they followed that creed. 

But there was plenty of anger. They just took it out on an opponent they could clearly define. 

"We had a great game. We are stronger as a team," said senior quarterback Andrew Clifford, who threw for 166 yards on 15-of-21 passing. "We really grew as a team and we showed it tonight."

Poor Zion. They didn't know what hit them. Not only did they have to face a Scouts team that is extremely balanced on offense--running backs Hub Cirame and Scott Powell combined for 144 yards rushing with birthday boy Cirame scoring three touchdowns--and physical on defense, they faced an especially fiesty Lake Forest team. 

Forced to forfeit their Sept. 14 game against Lake Zurich due to the teacher's strike, the Scouts had plenty of energy to burn in Friday's homecoming game. They came out kicking and screaming, scoring three first period touchdowns.

When Clifford found Nick Giordano in the back of the back of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown with 2:29 left in the second quarter, you could have warmed up the Zion bus. But the Scouts weren't finished, tacking on two more touchdowns, capped by Tom Doherty's 32-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half.

The 41-0 halftime score meant most of the second half was played with a running clock. It also represented something more. The Scouts may never forget having the Lake Zurich game taken away from them. But they wanted to show everyone they were getting over it. 

"I expected it as we had a great week of practice even though the strike was going on," said junior linebacker Jack Kutschke. "No one got negative. We had two great weeks of practices and we came out strong; offense, defense and special teams."

But underscoring the celebratory mood lies lingering bitterness. After all, the Lake Zurich game will never be replayed. It will forever be listed in the record books as a loss. The Scouts now face an uphill climb in the North Suburban Lake, a full two games behind the Bears. One season after winning the school's first conference title since 1995, this year's team might be better. And while there next two games--home against Libertyville, away against Stevenson--provides opportunites to get back in the race, it's what they can't control that stings.

"I guess we’re not really mad at anyone in particular just two groups of adults that couldn’t come to any agreement," said Kutschke. "When things are not in your control you have to find the positive from the situation."

Senior kicker Baylor Broughton said: "I thought it was childish on both sides. (We were) mad at the situation, nobody specifically. Adults need to talk things through and it should not have come down to this. It's the only way they could fix it I guess. Forgive and forget."

For one night, the Scouts did forget. Forgive? Only time will tell.