MARSHAL DYLAN
Shelton leads ‘D’ as Griffins cruise, remain unbeaten
Dylan Shelton oftentimes took a backseat last season to senior defensive linemen Devin O’Rourke and Jaden Hacha.
O’Rourke and Hacha deserved the spotlight. O’Rourke is at Northwestern, and Hacha is at Illinois State.
This season, however, Shelton has stepped into a starring role. And the 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior defensive end has delivered.
Shelton led a dominant performance Friday night by the Lincoln-Way East defense in a 42-0 South West Suburban win over visiting Andrew.
How dominant? The Griffins (3-0, 1-0) held Andrew (2-1, 0-1) to 101 yards, including 21 yards rushing.
Shelton believes this year’s defense is a more versatile than last year’s group.
“We had four down linemen who could destroy the run last year,” he said. “I think we’re more balanced with stopping the passing game.”
Devon Williams rushed for 110 yards and touchdown runs of 73, 1 and 16 yards.
Quarterback Jack Baltz hooked up with Jackson Ritter on a pair of TD passes covering 5 and 51 yards. Baltz completed 10 of 17 passes for 156 yards.
Cameron Cartee added a 24yard TD run for East, which played without running back A.J. Henning for the third straight game.
Henning, a junior, is sidelined with a strained hip flexor, according to Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar.
“A.J. could have played last week and (Friday),” Zvonar said. “We want to make sure he has zero chance of reinjuring it. He’ll be back in one or twoweeks.”
The reigning Class 8A state champions have barely missed a beat without Henning, whohas 25 Division I scholarship offers. Credit for the Griffins’ success goes to a diverse offense and stingy defense led by Shelton.
Shelton takes a considerable amount of pride in stepping into the leadership role O’Rourke and Hacha left behind.
“Last year I could just concentrate on myself,” Shelton said. “Those guys worried about the defensive line as a whole. Now as a senior, I have to be more vocal. Those guys made me who I am today.”
Senior linebacker Gus Christensen said Shelton is one of the best defensive linemen in the state.
“He has the attitude that no one is going to block him, no one is going to make a play on him,” Christensen said of Shelton. “That’s who he is. I don’t think there’s a lineman who can block him.”
Senior quarterback Tom Schiller took a pounding for Andrew but managed to rise to his feet each time. Schiller completed 5 of 15 passes for 80 yards.
“The last two years, hats off to their defense,” Andrew coach Adam Lewandowski said. “They do a fantastic job. We felt like there were some opportunities in the secondary. We weren’t connecting.”