This year’s Oak Park and River Forest High School football team believes it is improved from recent seasons. Coming into Friday night’s East Avenue Showdown against defending Class 6A champion Fenwick High School, the Huskies, who routed Rich Township 39-8 in week one, were eager to show they were ready to stand toe-to-toe – and possibly even defeat – the Friars.
In front of a sold-out and raucous orange-clad crowd at Oak Park Stadium, OPRF took it to Fenwick and even controlled play for a while. But the Friars showed their championship mettle down the stretch to secure a hard-earned 31-21 victory, their fourth straight over the Huskies.
Despite the loss, OPRF head coach John Hoerster felt good about his team’s effort, and he also appreciated the energy the fans brought.
“Can’t beat it. Greatest atmosphere in the state,” he said. “Great fans, great students, great band, they came out. We fought hard and I was so darn proud of our kids. They played for four quarters and left it all out there.”
Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia sensed the Huskies would bring their best effort, and he was right.
“We know it doesn’t matter what happens the rest of the season or what anyone’s record is, this is a big game for us,” he said. “We’ve had some success against (OPRF) the past couple of years, so we knew that they’d have an extra big chip on their shoulders.”
OPRF (1-1) took the opening kickoff and moved into Fenwick territory, but eventually punted. On the Friars’ first possession, Jake Thies went to work with runs of 24 and 53 yards respectively that set up his 3-yard score giving Fenwick (2-0) a 7-0 lead at the 7:49 mark of the first quarter.
“It was a four-quarter battle and I’m thinking I’ve got to make a play for my team,” said Thies, who finished the night with 188 yards and two scores on 17 carries. “The o-line put me in position to make plays and I know I’ve got to capitalize when I’m put in that position.”
OPRF responded on the next drive and marched to the Fenwick 5, but a bad snap on first and goal led to a 13-yard loss, then Liam Brown’s pass was intercepted by Thies, who returned it 42 yards.
J.P. Bordeaux-Walsh’s 33-yard field goal with 5:09 left in the half gave Fenwick a 10-0 lead. But OPRF seized momentum with two scores in the final 100 seconds of the half.
First, Liam Smith (13 carries, 44 yards) went in from a yard out to give the Huskies their first points against Fenwick since 2023. On the ensuing possession, Niko Vielehr picked off a pass from Myles Hill and raced 45 yards to the Friars’ 5 with :08 left.
Following an incompletion, Brown (19-of-37, 186 yards) connected with Cameron Minish-Murray (5 receptions, 44 yards) for a 5-yard touchdown with :01 left, giving OPRF a 14-10 halftime lead and sending the Dog Pound student section into a state of bedlam.
“Momentum’s a great thing and Niko made an unbelievable play at the end of the half. It swung things open for us,” Hoerster said. “We felt we were in good position.”
Fenwick took the second-half kickoff, and Thies again came up with a big play. His 32-yard burst set up Rocco Nero’s 4-yard score that regained the lead for the Friars, 17-14.
OPRF didn’t back down and quickly moved downfield. Brown’s 22-yard screen pass to Norlan Davis set up Smith’s second TD run, this one from 2 yards out, which put the Huskies back ahead 21-17.
But Thies dashed down the right side for a 37-yard score with 1:14 left in the third quarter to push Fenwick back in front 24-21. After the teams exchanged multiple defensive stops in the fourth quarter, Nero broke off left tackle for a 30-yard score with 3:55 remaining that gave the Friars breathing room.
“Honestly, I don’t remember much (about the clinching touchdown),” said Nero, who finished with 39 yards on 5 carries. “I just know the o-line made a great gap, I hit the hole, and I just blanked from there. Shout-out to the boys in front of me, I can’t do anything without them.”
Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to Fenwick’s 17 to keep OPRF alive. The Huskies got to the 2-yard line, but the Friars dropped Brown for a loss on 4th and goal with :44 left to seal the victory.
While happy with winning, Battaglia knows there’s plenty to work on.
“A lot of the challenge is ourselves and how we play and how we practice. It wasn’t our cleanest week of practice and it showed up tonight.”
Conversely, Hoerster is encouraged by OPRF’s good season start.
“We did some nice things and had some nice plays,” Hoerster said. “I told the kids they showed themselves a lot; they know what they can do now.”
Fenwick has its home opener at Triton College, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m., versus DePaul Prep, while OPRF visits Glenbard West in its West Suburban Conference Silver Division opener, Sept. 5, at 1:30 p.m.