“Pick it up, pick it up.”

Everyone on Oswego‘s sideline shouted at Teddy Manikas as he watched the Bolingbrook punt that had bounced past him and come to a stop at the Oswego two-yard line.

After an initial hesitation, Manikas followed the orders of the crowd, picking up the ball, making a cut and leaving a cloud of dust.

[ Photo store: Oswego vs. Bolingbrook ]

Manikas took the punt 98 yards to the end zone to extend Oswego’s lead to 28-7, a score that felt like the dagger in the third quarter.

“I thought it was going to be a touchback, so I let it go,” Manikas said. “I picked it up, made the quickest cut I could, and I just ended up taking it to the house.”

Manikas’ return touchdown was one of three defensive and special teams touchdowns for Oswego in its 42-7 victory over Bolingbrook in the Southwest Prairie Conference West opener.

Up just three points early in the third quarter, Oswego’s drive stalled near midfield. Defeated, the Panthers sent out their punt unit, but they had no intention of giving up possession.

Oswego (3-0, 1-0 SPC West) ran a fake: a direct snap to the upback, who floated a pass to a wide-open Devin Mata for a 25-yard gain. That drive would end in a Kaleb Stumpenhorst field goal, one of two Stumpenhorst field goals on the evening.

That was only the start of the special teams’ special night.

The ensuing drive for Bolingbrook ended with a blocked punt by Cam Loghmani that was scooped up by Dontrell Young for a 10-yard touchdown, extending Oswego’s lead to 21-7.

“All three phases really clicked,” Oswego coach Brian Cooney said. “I can’t remember a game that we’ve had collectively like this.”

Bolingbrook (1-2, 0-1 SPC West) found the end zone first, a one-yard touchdown rush by TJ Lewis, set up by a 78-yard catch and run from quarterback Tyson Ward to his speedy slot receiver Jeremiah Jenkins.

Lewis was the statistical leader for the Raiders on Friday, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

The Raiders would go on to concede 42 unanswered points and turn the ball over four times after landing the opening blow.

“We just had too many self-afflicted wounds today,” Bolingbrook coach Titcus Pettigrew said. “We’re a young team that’s growing, we have a tough schedule, but we looked at it in the face and tried to take it head-on.”

Oswego took just a 10-7 lead into the break, with both offenses struggling to find their footing.

“We went back to halftime, and I told myself that ‘this isn’t over,’” Manikas said. “I’m going to finish this as hard as I can.”

The Oswego offense never quite found its footing in the first three quarters but finally broke through again in the fourth.

After being shut down by the Bolingbrook secondary in the first half, Manikas found a hole in the fourth quarter, scampering for a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

“It felt great doing that,” he said. “In the beginning, they were swarming me, and I was getting double-teamed everywhere I went.”

Oswego junior QB Drew Kleinhans threw for 174 yards and a touchdown, completing 9 of 17 passes. The Panthers were led in rushing by Graham Schwab, who carried the rock 12 times for 35 yards.

Mariano Velasco led Oswego’s defensive effort, adding two more interceptions to his growing season total of four. One of them, he isn’t quite sure how he caught.

“I was just dropping back, and I saw the ball in the air, and I knew I had to go up and get it,” Velasco said. “I can’t remember how I caught it, but I know I did.”

The Oswego defense impressed again, this time pitching three shutout quarters after conceding the opening score.

“We take pride in our defense,” Velasco said. “We preach 10 or less points in every game.”

Manikas knows Oswego has surpassed many of the preseason expectations placed upon it. He doesn’t seem to mind.

“We’ve surprised a lot of people, and I think we can keep that rolling.”