Revenge is sweet for Richards against Evergreen Park
By Pat Disabato pdisabato@southtownstar.com September 7, 2012 10:04PM
Evergreen Park's Jacquet McClendon fights to break free from Richards' Dylan Giles. | Allen Cunningham~For Sun-Times Media
Article Extras
Updated: October 10, 2012 6:28AM
Not even the absence of quarterback Tommy Mister could deny Richards of gaining a bit of revenge Friday from last season’s 33-0 loss to Evergreen Park.
Hasan Muhammed-Rogers, moving from his customary safety position, stepped in for the injured Mister and guided visiting Richards to a dominant 35-0 win over Evergreen Park in a South Suburban Red opener.
Muhammed-Rogers, the starting QB on the sophomore team last season, completed 9-of-17 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 79 yards.
“He’s a gamer,” Richards coach Tony Sheehan said. “He has a lot of poise and does what he’s told.”
The sophomore admitted to some butterflies prior to the game.
“Yeah, I was real nervous,” Muhammed-Rogers said. “But after that first snap, everything came together.”
The Bulldogs (2-1, 1-0) owned a 15-0 lead at the half on an 81-yard touchdown run by Ramontay Hill (8 carries, 101 yards) and a 4-yard TD pass from Muhammed-Rogers to Brian Hettiger.
Muhammed-Rogers completed two big passes to highlight the latter scoring jaunt — a 19-yard strike to Chris Williams and a 32-yard pass to Tacari Carpenter before hitting Hettiger.
“When I completed my first pass, I knew I could do it,” Muhammed-Rogers said.
Richards put the game away with two scores late in the third quarter.
First it was Muhammed-Rogers recording his second TD pass of the night, connecting with Carpenter from 26 yards out for a 22-0 lead after the second of three Shawn Chiaramonte PAT kicks at 5:17 of the third.
On the Mustangs’ ensuing possession, Richards defensive lineman Savon Robinson recovered a fumble after he stripped Brandon White of the ball at the Evergreen Park 20. Two plays later, Carpenter blasted in from four yards out for a 28-0 advantage with 4:07 left in the third. The PAT kick was blocked.
Deante Cartwright added a 3-yard score in the fourth quarter.
Evergreen Park (2-1, 0-1) was held to 51 yards rushing and 37 yards passing on the night.
“To lose like we did last year to them was tough,” Hill said. “We knew we were a better team and we had to come out and show it.”
