Yorkville’s Gio Zeman is the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week MVP

Foxes’ junior ran for 132 yards, five TDs in win over Oswego

Yorkville junior running back Gio Zeman said he didn’t realize he had scored as many touchdowns as he did Friday until someone told him afterward.

It was definitely a night worth talking about.

In a game the Foxes needed to qualify for the playoffs, Zeman ran for 132 yards and five touchdowns in Yorkville’s huge 48-26 win over Oswego He was voted as the FridayNightDrive.com Team of the Week MVP.

In the closest MVP vote ever, Zeman tallied 346 votes, two more than runner-up and Yorkville teammate John Swarn. A total of 6,312 votes were cast for the Team of the Week.

The win lifted the Foxes into the playoffs for the third consecutive time, where they will play Plainfield Central – a rematch of a 28-13 Plainfield Central win in Week 2.

Before practice Tuesday, Zeman took a time to answer some questions from Record Newspapers sports editor Joshua Welge.

First off, what was it like to play in that game last Friday? That was such a big game, Oswego, at your place, last home game, playoffs on the the line.

Zeman: We knew it was a big game, we had to get ready for it and we were doing that all week. We either had to win or we were out of the playoffs. It was a win or lose situation.

I’m not surprised that you won the game necessarily, but I was shocked that you scored 48 points. How did you do it? That was impressive.

Zeman: We’ve been struggling to put up points at the beginning of the year, never had put it together, we just had to put it together.

What are some of the things that you can point to that you guys were able to do so well that game?

Zeman: It was just team communication, we had the chemistry, we knew what we had to do, it was just a matter of going out there and executing. Our O-line, one of the best, they did a great job, they made the holes, I just had to run through them.

Did you know you had scored five touchdowns?

Zeman: I didn’t know until someone told me.

Have you played running back your whole life?

Zeman: I’ve played running back for a while now, linebacker also.

How would you describe yourself as a running back?

Zeman: More of a guy that runs hard all the time, or does a truck, rather than a juke.

Big game this Friday, Plainfield Central, what are you guys going to need to do differently than you did the first time you played them?

Zeman: At the time of that game we were still settling in, learning each other, learning our capabilities. Now we are putting it together, we just have to execute.

Do you have a favorite sports team?

Zeman: Favorite football team, the Bears. David Montgomery is probably my favorite player.

Do you have a favorite game day meal?

Zeman: Coach Nauman hooked us up with some steaks. That might be my top one, my favorite.