Giants are CSL North frontrunners after running over reigning league champs

Maine West football has been a problem for Highland Park, and the rest of the Central Suburban North Division, in recent years.

But the host Giants solved that problem in a big way Saturday afternoon.

Highland Park’s 41-0 throttling of the Warriors ended the visitors’ 12-game conference winning streak, a run that included the last two CSL North championships. (Maine West also dominated the league between 2017-’19, winning it all three years with a combined 14-1 record.)

“Obviously our goal is to win conference and we know we have to beat Maine West in order for that to be possible,” Giants coach Anthony Kopp said. “We definitely came in looking to get that done.”

He continued, “We were ready for it and got off to a great start and took off from there.”

Highland Park had a 14-0 lead after one quarter and then tacked on three more scores in the next quarter to all but put the game away before halftime.

The Giants offense got it done in multiple ways, but four of their scores came via the ground game — and three of those courtesy of bruising sophomore back John Boman.

“We knew we were going to pass a lot this week, force them to bring more (defenders) in the box and once the pass was working, we’d start running,” said Max Leon, a senior offensive lineman for Highland Park.

While Leon, along with Constantine Soutsos, is a returning starter, the Giants offense line is young. Leon said they keep growing each week, and so does the Giants run game.

“Every week they are stepping up,” he said. “… We’re learning and we’re just improving every week.”

Boman scored Highland Park’s first two touchdowns (1 and 6 yards, respectively), and senior quarterback Gustav Crane followed with a 54-yard rush to pay dirt.

Then, in the second quarter, Giants star Lucas Gordon created his own highlight reel in the final eight minutes of the half. Gordon snagged a deep ball from Crane for a 48-yard receiving score, then he took an end-around handoff 18 yards to the end zone, and to cap the impressive run, Gordon intercepted a Warriors’ pass in his role as safety.

The Giants also picked off another pass (John Dugan Hever, second half) and foiled two Maine West punts, including a block (Max Stevens, Jacob Youra), on the afternoon.

Saturday was Highland Park’s first shutout of the season; though, it is allowing just 16 points per game.

“They like playing as a group,” Kopp said of his defense. “That’s what rally to the football is, getting multiple guys on the ball carrier. They are doing a great job with that, working through blocks, just trying to get to the ball.”

Highland Park improves to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the CSL North. The Giants are the only 2-0 team in the division and get their next two opponents — 2-4 Niles North and 1-5 Niles West — at home.

Niles North nipped the Highland Park, 15-13, a year ago, and the Giants remember.

“We’re feeling great. We’re ready for Niles North,” Leon said. “They hit us in the head last year. We’ll remember that. We’re coming.”

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