The young OPRF football team is looking forward to next season.
The Huskies (1-8, 1-5) fell to Glenbard West 48-8 Friday night at OPRF Stadium. OPRF got on the board in the third quarter after stopping the Hilltoppers on 4th down and the offense drove down the field with several passes from sophomore quarterback Johnny Nelson to wide receiver Matt Meagher. Nelson capped off the drive with a 2-yard run for the touchdown, and the Huskies got the two-point conversion on a halfback option play from junior backup quarterback Owen Watson to junior Mykah Riley.
“Coming out of halftime, our defense did a great job of stopping Glenbard West,” said Huskies head coach John Hoerster. “[Nelson] did a great job of making good decisions on the drive, and [sophomore running back] Jeremiah Jenkins had some strong runs.”
The Huskies had a lot of positives in the game despite the score, as players on both sides of the ball had shining moments.
“Nelson made great decisions, and Jenkins moved to running back and did a great job, showing sparks at the position,” Hoerster said. “Junior Matt Winkelhake had another solid performance on both sides of the ball, and Hugh Vanek was again incredibly tough at linebacker.”
Oak Park-River Forest linebacker Zach Robinson (#20) makes a tackle on a Glenbard West runner on Oct. 20. The Huskies lost 48-8 to finish the season 1-8. | Carol Dunning 
Oak Park-River Forest quarterback Johnny Nelson (#7, right) rolls out looking to pass against Glenbard West on Oct. 20. The sophomore scored the Huskies’ only touchdown on a two-yard run in a 48-8 defeat. | Carol Dunning
It may have been a challenging season for OPRF, but they’ve progressed throughout and have a lot to take from it heading into next year.
“I think they are realizing their potential, while understanding potential only matters if you work hard and cultivate it,” Hoerster said. “They also showed tremendous optimism, grit, and enthusiasm in the face of a really challenging season. I am confident they will work as hard as any group has in the off-season to make sure they continue to improve.”
The Huskies had 17 underclassmen starting this year, many on both sides of the ball, and have more strong talent coming into next season.
“[Johnny] Nelson, [offensive lineman] Pierre Nelson, and Jenkins all justified their place on the varsity and not only performed well but showed that their ceiling is tremendously high,” Hoerster said. “Winkelhake, Vanek, Watson, and juniors Ben Martin, CJ Robinson, Mikee Vieleher, among others, really are going to be exciting to watch next year and will certainly be strong leaders.”
Overall this season, Hoerster is pleased with the way his team carried themselves throughout, and knows that this group will come back even stronger next year.
“It is ironic, and really shouldn’t make sense given our record, but this season was an absolute joy for me as a coach,” he said. “This group was an absolute blast to work with; their character as a group was unmatched; the coaches all maintained their enthusiasm and always showed up ready to work with a positive attitude; the managers and training staff were some of the best we’ve ever had.”