A big loss to Cary Grove left the Huntley Red Raiders discouraged, but a win against Woodstock put them in the playoffs.  Although they were already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, the Raiders were looking for a win over McHenry to get a higher seed.  They did just that, shutting out the Warriors in a 41-0 win.

McHenry opened the game with a 58-yard kickoff return, but a strong series by the Raider defense pushed the Warriors to fourth down.  McHenry decided to go for the first down, but Huntley linebacker Brandon Mabry pushed through the McHenry offensive line for a sack, forcing a turnover on downs.

Quarterback Kameron Sallee broke a huge run in Huntley’s first offensive series to set up Ethan Connor’s 1-yard touchdown run.

On their next possession, Huntley would score their second touchdown of the quarter on Sallee’s pass to wide receiver Jake Lackovic, pushing the score to 14-0 entering the second quarter.

The Huntley offense never backed down and kept pushing through the McHenry defense.  Sallee threw three more touchdown passes and running back Jake Scalise had a running touchdown, racking up a total of 41 points.  The only major blemish of Huntley’s offensive play was an interception by McHenry’s Jake Huffman.

The Huntley defense almost completely stopped the McHenry offense.  They held them to few yards and gave them no points.

“I hope this game will help us going into the playoffs,” said coach John Hart.  “I think this performance was good for the team.”

This win over McHenry will give Huntley a better seed in the playoffs and should make their playoff schedule somewhat easier.

Not only will the win over McHenry give Huntley a better seed, it will also give them renewed confidence.  This strong performance leaves them feeling good and in great shape entering the playoffs.

IHSA playoff pairings are due to be announced at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.