While Shepard suffered 36-15 loss to Joliet West commence the 2024 season, Astros coach John Rone found at least one encouraging aspect of his team’s performance.
“I don’t think the final score shows how well our defense played,” Rone said. “They caused turnovers and got sacks. We also had a goal-line stand.
“The defense just got worn down. We just have to learn to play complementary football.”
It was the second straight season Joliet West beat Shepard on opening night.
Leading the way for the Astros’ defense was senior defensive tackle Chris Stavrakis, who finished with three sacks, one shy of Shepard’s single-game record. Stavrakis and Isaiah Martinez each posted 10 tackles.
Offensively, the Astros were paced by senior quarterback Noah Vaughn, who connected with Cameron Tryon on a 30-yard touchdown pass and Erich Bieker on a 25-yard scoring strike.
Vaughn finished the game 14-of-26 passing for 194 yards and the two scores while also throwing two interceptions. Tryon tallied four catches for 60 yards, while Bieker chipped in five receptions for 59 yards.
“This game was a great learning experience for our juniors,” said Rone, who noted most of those juniors were on last season’s sophomore team that finished 8-1. “Varsity football is a completely different experience. Our seniors played like seniors overall, but our underclassmen have to learn from this.”