Grant‘s Tyler Zdon says Saquon Barkley is his favorite running back, and he did a nice impression during the season opener in Fox Lake.

Zdon rushed for 175 yards on 16 carries, took a swing pass for 64 yards and scored four touchdowns as Grant rolled past Mundelein 42-13 in a nonconference matchup Friday.

This was supposed to be the year when the Bulldogs blossomed, since coach Tim Norwood is now in his fourth season and a number of seniors are third-year starters. Grant didn’t disappoint, as the offense rolled up 500 total yards and the defense put constant pressure on Mundelein quarterback Logan Young.

“Our defense, I don’t know what they ate today, but they were on a roll,” Zdon said. “We’ve just been playing together for so long. The chemistry is amazing and the camaraderie. It’s really paying off.”

Grant quarterback Matthew Gipson completed 9 of 12 passes for 265 yards, while receiver Max Hembrey hauled in 5 receptions for 159 yards.

All of Grant’s first five touchdown drives lasted 4 plays or less as Zdon led the explosive attack. The senior running back committed to North Dakota this summer.

“He’s got the natural ability, but when your best players are your hardest workers, which Tyler is, it helps the culture of the program too,” Norwood said. “Our kids see one of the best around working like that, that’s how they expect things to be run.”

Mundelein got on the board first and were driving with a chance to tack on a second touchdown when the Bulldogs’ defense changed the momentum. Young rolled out and was hit as he threw by Grant’s Kolton Senders. Logan Myers then picked off the wobbly pass for a turnover. Gipson completed a 49-yard bomb to Hembrey on the next play and Zdon’s 3-yard run put Grant ahead 14-7.

Zdon’s best highlight was a 40-yard run in the second quarter where he pulled out of a shirt tackle, then barreled over another defender. Caream Williams added a second Grant interception in the second half.

“That’s four years in our strength program,” Norwood said. “We’ve got a beautiful brand new weight room, it’s 30 racks. Our kids are in the weight room now and our numbers are crazy from Year One to now. This senior class were freshmen as I came in, so they’ve been through four years of it and we look a little bit different.”

Mustangs senior running back Aubre Booker didn’t play in the second half due to an injury. A 54-yard completion from Young to Brandon Werner was the key play in Mundelein’s opening touchdown drive. Cameron Earing scored the second TD on a 7-yard pass in the second half.

“We had a stop, we had a score. That was exactly how we wanted to start the game,” second-year Mundelein coach Johnny Cowhey said. “That’s a really good football team. I was really impressed by everything they did and they’re going to have really good season.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250829/prep-football/zdon-leads-powerful-grant-offense-past-mundelein/