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Buffalo Grove Bills Bantam Win Super Bowl


The Buffalo Grove Bills bantam football team entered the Chicago Youth Football League (TCYFL) playoffs as the No. 3 seed in Big Ten Class 2A, but ended the season on top with a 20-0 win over No. 1 Wauconda (8-3) in Sunday’s Super Bowl at Mundelein High School.

Caden Albrecht (9), Raizo Ruiz (4) and the other Buffalo Grove Bills bantam football team captains hoist the TCYFL Super Bowl championship trophy.

The Bills (9-3) defense didn’t allow a single point over three playoff games, outscoring opponents 35-0. Over the 12 games this season, Buffalo Grove posted eight shutouts.

It’s only fitting the Bills started the season with a 7-0 shutout win over Wauconda and ended the season with a 20-0 shutout win over Wauconda.

Buffalo Grove coach Jay Duff breaks the final huddle of the season after winning the TCYFL Super Bowl for bantam Class 2A Sunday, Nov. 17 at Mundelein.

Wauconda entered the game with six straight wins, but they were no problem for the Bills defense.

Wauconda only produced 36 yards rushing on 21 carries in the title game, but fumbled the ball twice. Wauconda also threw the ball three times, tossing two incompletions and one interception.

Buffalo Grove’s Jake Blair (right) intercepts a pass as his teammates Bowie Richmond (left) and Phil Pelts (center) stand behind him.

The Bulldogs started the game with the ball and moved toward midfield, when they fumbled the ball and Bills player Jax Baker exited the scrum with the ball.

Buffalo Grove Bills’ Phil Pelts (55), Caden Albrecht (9) and Jax Baker (21), along with others, celebrate after a fumble recovery.

Buffalo Grove Bills player Jackson Boundy (5) smiles as he indicates a fumble recovery is going to the Bills.

Buffalo Grove rotated between Jake Blair (5 carries, 38 yards) and Bowie Richmond (9 carries, 113 yards, 2 TD) to march down to the 20-yard-line. Baker (2 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD) sprinted through an opening and ran for a 20-yard TD with 7 minutes to play in the second quarter to put the Bills up 6-0. Since there is no kicking at the bantam level, teams have to score on a pass or rush to get the extra point. Jackson Boundy scored on a run to put the Bills up 7-0.

Buffalo Grove’s Jake Blair (center) picks up some yards as the offensive line blocks for him in the second half.

Wauconda found no luck in the second drive, turning the ball over on downs where they started.

Buffalo Grove didn’t capitalize and score, but entered half up 7-0. At the bantam level, quarters are only 8 minutes long, compared to the 12-minute quarters played in high school.

Buffalo Grove running back Bowie Richmond (17) hurdles over a Wauconda player in the first half.

The Bills combo of Blair and Richmond advanced the team to the 11-yard-line, before a 5-yard penalty pushed them back to the 16-yard-line early in the third quarter. Richmond sped to the outside on a run and scored from 16 yards out with 4:27 to play in the quarter. After a successful conversion run by Blair, Buffalo Grove extended the lead to 14-0.

Buffalo Grove’s Jake Blair (34) goes into the end zone untouched for the PAT score.

Wauconda ran four plays on the ground on its next drive, gaining 9 yards, but falling one short of a first down. It took just three plays and Richmond scored from 41 yards out to put the Bills up 20-0 with 7:45 to play. The conversion attempt was no good.

Wauconda players try to bring down Buffalo Grove Bills running back Bowie Richmond (yellow jersey).

The Bills defense did its job shutting down Wauconda in the fourth quarter. Boundy recovered a fumble by Wauconda and Blair intercepted the last pass of the game.

The Bills, coached by Jay Duff, featured only 18 players on its team. Buffalo Grove outscored opponents 172-32 this season with help from the whole roster, consisting of Raizo Ruiz, Jackson Boundy, Duncan Suren, James Clark, Caden Albrecht, Jonah Duff, Patrick Hubbard, Charlie McRae, Esteban Plata, Aiden Noe, Bowie Richmond, Jax Baker, Artur Cara, Matthew Owens, Jake Blair, William Hicks, Phil Pelts and Declan Haack.

Buffalo Grove offensive coordinator Ryan Hubbard hugs Artur Cara (23) after winning the TCYFL bantam Class 2A Super Bowl at Mundelein Sunday, Nov. 17.

It was a nice turnaround for the Bills, who lost 18-12 in triple overtime to North Shore in the TCYFL Super Bowl last year, Duff’s first as head coach.

Duff, who’s been with the program for six years, including four as an assistant coach, hopes this title will bring more kids out next year and entice the returning players to come back to bantam or featherweight (the next level). The program’s featherweight team won the Super Bowl as well this year for their class (1A), topping No. 4 North Side 14-0.

Buffalo Grove Bills coach Jay Duff and son Jonah Duff smile together holding the championship trophy.

“Hopefully this culture of winning will spread to all the other kids who play for us (in the program),” Duff said. “As far as keys to success, it’s focus. Pretty much every game I think we could’ve won. Focus was the key for us. In every single game we came to, we told them the only team on the field that could beat them is themselves. That was certainly true. They brought the focus today and they dominated this team.”

Duff said the team was lucky with talent and size.

“We were very lucky, we had four really big kids on the line,” Duff said. “If those kids can play football, which ours certainly can, it’s hard to burst through that. It’s hard for an offensive line to move a defender out of the way that has size, speed and intelligence, which all of our defensive linemen had in spades.”

Duff also said it was a coaching dream to have multiple running backs that could contribute throughout the season. Baker, Blair and Richmond all recorded carries of 20-plus yards in the title game and in the other big games Duncan Suren stepped up.

Buffalo Grove has a long history of success in the TCYFL and this year only added to the many trophies accumulated over the years.

Buffalo Grove’s Phil Pelts flexes as he and the team celebrates.

Overall, Buffalo Grove qualified five teams for the playoffs this year and three made it to their respective Super Bowl, with the bantam and featherweight teams leaving as champions.

“I am proud to be part of this team and part of this culture,” Duff said. “I think coach (Tom) Sibo is continuing with that culture (of winning) since taking over the program. I love it. I hope these kids take this with them through high school, college and whatever.”

Duff said he loved watching the whole team grow, learn the game and have fun. Practices were essential in teaching the game and the Bills executed when it came time for games.

 

Scoring Drives:

Second Quarter:

7:00 – Buffalo Grove’s Jax Baker 20-yard TD run, PAT run by Jackson Boundy is good; Buffalo Grove 7, Wauconda 0

Third Quarter:

4:27 – Buffalo Grove’s Bowie Richmond 16-yard TD run, PAT run by Jake Blair is good; Buffalo Grove 14, Wauconda 0

Fourth Quarter:

7:45 – Buffalo Grove’s Bowie Richmond 41-yard TD run, PAT pass incomplete; Buffalo Grove 20, Wauconda 0

 

Buffalo Grove Bills Bantam Schedule:

Aug. 31 – Buffalo Grove 7, Wauconda 0

Sept. 8 – Barrington 7, Buffalo Grove 6 (3 OT)

Sept. 15 – Buffalo Grove 20, Waukegan 0

Sept. 22 – Buffalo Grove 33, Grant 0

Sept. 29 – Crystal Lake 6, Buffalo Grove 0 (OT)

Oct. 6 – Buffalo Grove 25, Lake Villa 6

Oct. 13 – Buffalo Grove 12, Mundelein 0

Oct. 20 – Buffalo Grove 28, Woodstock 0

Oct. 27 – Huntley 13, Buffalo Grove 6

Playoffs:

Nov. 3 – (3) Buffalo Grove 9, (6) Kaneland 0

Nov. 10 – (3) Buffalo Grove 6, (2) McHenry 0

Nov. 17 – (3) Buffalo Grove 20, (1) Wauconda 0

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