McHenry coach Colt Nero’s bold trust in his players regularly paid off as the Warriors defeated host Dundee-Crown 17-14 Friday night in Carpentersville.

McHenry (1-0, 1-0 FVC) scored on their opening drive of the game but not before Coach Nero turned things loose on a fourth-and-8 attempt near midfield that saw quarterback Jeffrey Schwab run for a clutch first down.

Trailing 14-10 in the fourth quarter, Coach Nero delivered the ball into the hands of Joey Spelman, whose 4-yard rushing touchdown proved to be the game winner in the sophomore’s first varsity game.

“I feel great because these guys deserve it, and they’ve worked tirelessly,” Nero said after his first win as head coach. “They’ve accepted the challenge of everything we’ve asked them to do all summer, and thankfully for them it paid off in a win tonight. We’re going to focus on enjoying it tonight, and tomorrow, we’re going to continue to get better.”

Spelman spoke favorably of his team staying together despite committing several unforced penalties.

“I think we just played like a team, and we had our ups and downs, but we stuck together, and how we practiced correlated to the game,” he said.

Spelman contributed greatly to all the Warriors’ scoring drives, first connecting with Schwab on a 37-yard reception ahead of Mick Reidy’s 5-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. 

After James Butler sparked another Warriors’ scoring drive with an interception, Spelman exploded with runs of 8 and 53 yards ahead of Jaiden Linderman’s 20-yard field goal. 

Of his late game heroics, Spelman credited his “elite blockers” on his touchdown scoring play. “I just had one man to beat,” he said. 

Competitive to the very end, McHenry sealed its season opening win when the defense forced a Chargers fumble with just 33 seconds left in the game. 

D-C’s Ikey Grzynkowicz and Kadin Malone traded ball-carrying duties throughout the night, but it was quarterback Grzynkowicz who punched in the touchdowns. Grzynkowicz’s 2-yard score opened play in the second quarter, and his fourth quarter, 22-yard dash to the end zone sent the Charger fans and cheerleaders into a frenzy.

“We moved the ball very well, blocked well, we knew our assignments, and we just put our heads down and worked,” Grzynkowicz said. “Our defense went crazy.” 

Tristan Gatenby racked up tackles throughout the evening, and Teigen Moreno tackled a Warrior short on a fourth-and-goal attempt. 

D-C looked to its experienced players on its final drive, but Grzynkowicz’s shot in the end zone to Ryan Pierce was broken up by the Warriors.

“I thought we ran the ball well. I thought we were able to control the clock,” D-C coach Mike Steinhaus reflected. “I think [we] found some things that we can really put our hat on and keep working on and build on, and I’m proud of our guys.”