BATAVIA – Batavia’s football team is off to a 3-0 start and coming off a dominant win against Streamwood.

And now the hometown fans will actually get a chance to see the Bulldogs play within the Batavia city limits.

After breezing past host Streamwood 56-7 in an Upstate Eight River game Sept. 9, Batavia preps for its first home game of the season.

Oh, and by the way, it is homecoming week, and the football game against Elgin on Sept. 16 will be the first gridiron game on Batavia’s brand-new turf field. The boys soccer team will play a game against Elgin at 5 p.m. before the football game.

“We’re super excited,” running back Reggie Phillips said. “We just want to be at home and have more of our classmates there.

“I think it will be fun.”

The games against Elgin will be the first time fans have a chance to see Batavia teams take the new field, but the football team has been be practicing on the field since it was installed. Still, playing a game that counts in the standings takes the anticipation to a whole new level.

“They are thrilled, and it is homecoming so that makes it really neat,” Batavia head coach Dennis Piron said. “We’re excited about it. The kids have done a great job on the field knowing we had to go almost a month without a home game.

“I know our guys have been anxious to get out there, and with it being homecoming it is going to be a big one.”

The Bulldogs (3-0 overall, 1-0 UER) raced out to a 35-0 lead, and when the Sabres cut it to 35-7 at halftime, Batavia scored twice in the third quarter to make the final outcome a mere formality.

Matthew Huizinga opened the scoring on a 1-yard run, then ran 9 and 90 yards for touchdowns in the third quarter as he rushed four times for 106 yards. Ben Weerts (nine carries, 55 yards) scored three touchdowns and Jeremiah Evers (four carries, 35 yards) added a touchdown on the ground. Phillips had 11 rushes for 49 yards as seven different Bulldogs carried the ball for 269 yards.

In the passing game, Weerts and Riley Cooper combined to for 15 of 21 for 271 yards, including Weerts’ short pass to Colin Cheaney that went for an 88-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Cheaney finished with 137 yards receiving and was one of seven Batavia players who caught a pass.

“The kids buy into the game plan, they buy in to the team-first concept,” Piron said of a Batavia offense that has had a host of contributors this season.

“No one is selfish. They all understand it’s for the good of the team. We have a lot of depth, and it’s nice to see guys be positive when it’s someone else making a play.”

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Week 4 matchup

Elgin at Batavia

What: Upstate Eight River football

When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16.

Where: 1201 Main St., Batavia

Records: Elgin 0-3; Batavia 3-0 (1-0)

Outlook: After a pair of narrow losses, the Maroons suffered a 48-6 setback against McHenry on Sept. 9. Meanwhile, Batavia responded to a triple overtime win against Libertyville with a romp against Streamwood in Week 3. Now the Bulldogs gear up for their first home game of the season and their first on their new turf field.