Night of firsts for Oak Forest
Gentile scores Bengals’ only TD in first game of 2021 and first win since ’18
There was no need for Tyler Gentile to overthink in the fourth quarter of a one-possession game at Bremen on Friday evening.
In his mind, his Oak Forest teammates up front had done the hard work. All the sophomore quarterback had to do was cross the goal line.
“Just the end zone, pretty much,” Gentile said of what he saw on the play. “I just saw it and went. The O-line, again, they were everywhere and getting everyone.”
Gentile’s 5-yard touchdown run on the second play of the fourth quarter and the ensuing two-point conversion pass were the difference, helping the Bengals secure an 8-6 South Suburban Blue victory.
The win was Oak Forest’s first since Oct. 12, 2018. It also was its first game of the season after COVID-19 precautions shut the team down after just one practice and forced the cancellation of its first two games, which only served to make the victory over the Braves (1-2, 1-2) all the sweeter.
“They’re our rivals,” Gentile said. “Got a trophy involved in it, and we brought that home with us today. Big win.”
The Bengals took some time to shake off the rust, with penalties and fumbles keeping them from finding much traction. Gentile, a first-year varsity player, and senior Ricky Gonzalez, who is playing quarterback for the first time, rotated at the position.
Oak Forest’s best drive of the first half ended with a fumble near the goal line that was recovered by Bremen in the waning seconds of the second quarter. Things started to change for the Bengals in the third quarter, led by Gentile and
sophomore running back Joe Castaneda.
“We run the ball,” Oak Forest coach Jason Thormeyer said. “We got to have a quarterback that can run the ball. The extra element (Gentile) brings to it — we didn’t really show it much today — but he has a nice arm as well. He’s the full package.”
Castaneda, who ran for 106 tough yards on 24 carries, set up Gentile’s TD run with four straight carries for 19 yards to get the Bengals to the 5-yard line. Gentile, who ran for 50 yards, credited those Castaneda carries for the success of the tiebreaking two-point conversion, a pass to senior receiver JaDareon Evans.
“That opened up because we were running the same play every time,” Gentile said. “Same play, same play, faked it. He was wide open. They expected the run.”
Castaneda, who ran six times for 35 yards on the final drive, then helped the Bengals run off the final 3:36 on the clock to keep Bremen from getting a chance to try to pull off the win.
The Braves jumped ahead 6-0 midway through the second quarter on Justin Robinson’s 1-yard TD run. The point-after attempt was blocked. Robinson ran for a teambest 60 yards.
Bremen looked to have added to its lead on the first drive of the third quarter, but Ryan Ahern’s 30-yard pass near the sideline in the end zone was ruled incomplete. The drive ended with no points.
Combined with some miscues and an Oak Forest offense that chews the clock, the Braves weren’t able to sustain any momentum offensively after that.
“When you miss out on those opportunities, at this point it becomes a game of inches,” Bremen coach Dan Stell said. “Unfortunately, it’s a game of possessions as well. If we’re giving the ball to their offense, especially, and allowing them to move the chains, offensively when we struggle, especially in inopportune moments, that’s going to put us in a difficult position.”