The Stevenson varsity football team defeated Mundelein 21-7 on Friday Sept. 19 to kick off Homecoming and clinch their third consecutive win. The Patriots had a strong offensive showing led by quarterback Aidan Crawley ’26, backed by a dominant defense that shut out Mundelein for most of the game.
Stevenson opened the game strong, moving quickly down the field with their first possession until Mundelein defender Frankie Lesniak ’26 intercepted a pass from Crawley. However, Mundelein failed to take advantage of the opportunity, as the Patriots’ defense forced a turnover on downs.
After getting the ball back, Stevenson’s offense showed no signs of slowing down. On the next drive, wideout Jaxon Saint Paul ’28 hauled in two big receptions for the Patriots to get the ball near midfield. Crawley then ran for a 45 yard touchdown to open the scoring and make it 7-0 with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.
“Aidan is doing a really nice job this year as a true dual-threat quarterback by using his legs and using his arm,” varsity football coach Brent Becker said.
Stevenson and Mundelein traded punts over the course of several possessions, but Crawley once again used his legs to scramble for a 28 yard touchdown midway through the second quarter, putting the Patriots ahead 14-0. After the dominant Stevenson defense forced another turnover on downs, Crawley added another long run for 28 yards before the half wound to a close.
In the third quarter, D’Angelo Washington and Anthony Adams combined for a tackle for loss on 4th down that handed possession to Stevenson. A few plays later, Crawley completed a 24 yard pass to a wide open Zach Becker ’26 in the back of the end zone for another Stevenson touchdown, making it a commanding 21-0 lead for the Patriots.
“We were all hyped up after that touchdown,” Becker said. “It was a big night because it’s our Homecoming game so everyone was excited.”
Mundelein put together a solid drive to start the fourth quarter, as quarterback Logan Young ’26 ran the ball in from 3 yards out for a touchdown to bring the score to 21-7. Later in the quarter, though, Stevenson threw another interception, as Crawley underthrew a pass to the end zone with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter.
However, the defense stood strong and didn’t let Mundelein score for the rest of the game. The offense was then able to run out the remainder of the clock to secure the victory.
“I want to shout out the defense,” Crawley said. “They always come to play. They always got the offense’s back.”
Crawley also mentioned playing in his final Homecoming game at Stevenson served as motivation for his strong performance. He made solid plays through the air and on the ground, running for more than 100 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Becker noted that Crawley’s ability to run the ball has become a valuable asset throughout his time at Stevenson. Becker also mentioned that the student section brought energy that helped fuel the team during their victory.
“When it’s Homecoming and the crowd is loud, that matters,” coach Becker said. “When we’ve got that support behind us, that’s amazing.”
Stevenson takes on Waukegan this Friday, the first of three straight away games. The Patriots return home to play Zion-Benton on Oct. 17 before the final game of the regular season the following week.