Warriors look for positives

McHenry's Corey Szamlewski (left) takes a Robert Tonyan pass upfield in the first quarter Friday against Larkin's Brandon Williams in the first quarter of the season opener in Elgin. (H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@nwhearld.com)

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ELGIN – Last year’s season-opening loss to Larkin left McHenry one win shy of qualifying for the playoffs.

The Warriors will be hoping to avoid the same fate in 2010 after dropping their non-conference opener, 35-21, to the Royals at Memorial Field on Friday.

“Before this game, we didn’t talk about last season at all,” McHenry coach Tim Beagle said. “It’s a new year with a lot of new starters.”

“Winning the first one does make it easier though.”

After the first half, the Warriors (0-1) looked to be in a lopsided affair, trailing 27-0 and giving up 295 yards of total offense to Larkin.

The second half was a different story, as junior quarterback Robert Tonyan, making his first career varsity start for McHenry, led the Warriors on three scoring drives of more than 50 yards.

On their first drive, Tonyan scrambled after a bad snap and found Corey Szamlewski streaking across the middle of the end zone.

After the Warriors gave a touchdown to Larkin on its next drive, Tonyan found Jake Braskett on a 36-yard score across the middle.

“I started the game off with some jitters, but the guys on the line stepped up in the second half,” Tonyan said. “My receivers were getting open and I was scanning the field better.”

Tonyan found Szamlewski once more in the fourth quarter for a one-yard touchdown reception, but the Warriors would be stopped on their next two possessions.

McHenry’s Trevor Jones ran 12 times for 70 yards.