Dejan Basara was one busy player Friday night in leading Elk Grove to a 20-7 Mid-Suburban League crossover victory over visiting Schaumburg.
The quarterback-linebacker who also kicks scored all of his team’s points before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury to his left, non-throwing, arm.
Basara ran for three touchdowns — two 1-yarders and one for 5 yards — and kicked two extra points. He rushed for 137 yards and completed 6 of 8 passes for 113.
After an uneventful opening quarter, three touchdowns were scored in the final eight minutes of the first half as Elk Grove (3-1) built a 14-7 lead.
Elk Grove opened the scoring on a seven-play, 80-yard drive. Basara connected with Fernando Lozano on a 38-yard completion for a first down at the Schaumburg 10 before he eventually crashed into the end zone on a 1-yard keeper at 7:29 of the second quarter.
Schaumburg (2-2) answered with an even longer touchdown drive, traveling 99 yards over nine plays to tie the game.
But Elk Grove struck back on its next drive, an 89-yard march over nine plays. Basara accounted for all but three yards of the drive, scoring on a 5-yard run as the Grenadiers took a 14-7 lead with 40.9 seconds left in the first half.
The home team took its momentum into the third quarter, scoring on its first drive of the second half. Basara broke free for a 46-yard run before eventually crashing into the end zone on a 1-yard run to make it 20-7 at 8:45 of the third quarter.
That was it for Basara, who was sidelined with his arm in a sling. With backup quarterback Dylan Edwards knocked out of the game earlier with an injury suffered on defense, Jon Ebert took over at quarterback for Elk Grove.
“I’m impressed with the way our kids responded,” Elk Grove coach Brian Doll said. “I’m proud that so many kids stepped up. We had numerous injuries tonight. I don’t know what it was, but it seemed like the injury train was here.”
Defensively, Jeff Miceli made a big play for the Grenadiers, intercepting a pass in the end zone as Schaumburg threatened to score and make it a one-possession game in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Elk Grove’s Mike Maize recovered a Schaumburg fumble on the Grenadiers’ 43 to help keep the Saxons at bay.
Player of the game:
Dejan Basara, Elk Grove, 3 touchdowns, 2 extra points, 250 total yards.
Key performers:
Schaumburg — Nick Anzelmo, 18 of 25 passing, 256 yards); Stacey Smith, 7 catches, 161 yards.
