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Both the present and the future of Richards’ offensive backfield were on full display in Week 4 as neighborhood rival Oak Lawn came across town.
The Bulldogs ran for 478 yards and five touchdowns in a 68-12 victory over the Spartans in a South Suburban Red matchup Sept. 20 at Gary Korhonen Field.
Senior Myles Mitchell ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns, sophomore Laderius Foster had 143 yards and two TDs and freshman Jordan Lewis added 108 yards and a score as Richards (3-1, 1-0 SSC Red) won its second straight game.
“We thought we could run the ball and we put a big emphasis on that,” Bulldogs head coach Tony Sheehan said. “Foster had a really good game, Mitchell was electric and Lewis is just a freshman.
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Richards sophomore running back La’darrius Foster runs for some of his 143 yards in a 68-12 win over Oak Lawn on Sept. 20. Photo by Vince Olejniczak
“We wanted to use [all Richards running backs] and be fresh and keep Myles fresh for four quarters.”
Sheehan said the Bulldogs’ goal is to have a balanced offense and to take pressure off Mitchell, the offense’s top weapon and as a linebacker one of defense’s best players. The passing game is still catching up with the ground attack.
The Bulldogs’ defense helped out on the scoreboard as Austin Synoga returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown and Johnny Liscomb scored on a 12-yard fumble return.
Coming into the game, Richards and Oak lawn had played each other 27 times since 1996, with Richards tallying 1,055 points to Oak Lawn’s 260 for an average margin of 39.1 to 9.7. The Spartans’ lone victory over the Bulldogs during that span occurred in the 2008 season, when then-Oak Lawn coach Ron Thornburgh guided his team to a 20-12 triumph.
The two teams did not meet in 2005 when they were in different conferences.
Many players from Oak Lawn and Richards played together in youth football leagues and otherwise know each other, so the rivalry has maintained meaning despite the lopsided history when it comes to wins and losses.
“The kids know each other from the neighborhood and they’ve played with each other, so it still means something to them,” Sheehan said.
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Oak Lawn’s Jack Reilly attempts to ward off Richards’ Seamus Doyle with a stiff arm during a game on Sept. 20. Photo by Vince Olejniczak
