The game plan for Warren was simple Friday night: give the ball to Aaron Stewart up the middle.

The senior running back pounded the ball for 207 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Blue Devils to a 22-6 victory against Lake Forest.

Stewart got the ball on 70% of Warren’s plays, and it worked as the Blue Devils held the momentum throughout the game.

“We know they will break eventually so we kept hitting them,” Stewart said.

Warren righted the ship after losing 42-12 a week ago to Maine South, and got redemption after losing to Lake Forest a year ago.

“This game was all about revenge,” Warren offensive and defensive lineman Jordan Ellis said. “Last year, they out-physicalled us, which never happens. You see, we came out and did what we do. We ran the ball right at them. We were not scared of them.”

Stewart, who had 84 yards a year ago against the Scouts, scored all three touchdowns within three yards of the goal line.

Warren coach Bryan McNulty said focusing on run up the middle wasn’t the initial plan.

“We were trying to control the game,” McNulty said. “Our defense was playing really, really well. We were trying to get the ball on the edge a little bit, throw it a little bit, but the game really didn’t call for it.”

Corvell Hodges helped set up two of Stewart’s scores, getting the Blue Devils out of a jam by making 12-yard catch on fourth-and-10, and a 24-yard reception prior to Warren’s final touchdown. He finished with five catches for 50 yards.

The defense came up just short in its bid for a third shutout against the Scouts in four years. Luke Pasquesi scored the Scouts’ only touchdown with a little more than a minute left in the game on a drive kept alive by a Warren roughing the passer penalty on fourth and long.

For most of the game, the Scouts couldn’t move the ball amounting to 66 yards of total offense. Javon Brisker, X’Zavion Montgomery and Ellis each had a sack.

When Lake Forest got into the red zone for the first time after Pasquesi recovered a fumble, Victor Drake helped Warren get the ball back a few plays later by recovering a fumble.

Lake Forest will look to bounce back next week against Zion-Benton, while Warren travels to Waukegan.

“Every team looks at us and they know we are going to run the ball,” Ellis said. “That don’t matter to us because we believe we are the most physical team in the state. When we are at our best, we are the most physical team in the state.”