Reggie Mitchell scores 5 TDs to lead Amundsen past Hyde Park

A few years ago Reggie Mitchell was a well-known youth football star at Welles Park on the North Side. It’s a testament to the growth of Nick Olson’s football program that the running back decided to attend Amundsen.

“I did my research before I picked a high school and I liked how [Olson] took them from losing every game to winning more and more,” Mitchells said. “That said a lot about the culture. At the Catholic schools they think they are better than everyone. We are kinda the underdogs and there is a real family feel.”

Mitchell was unstoppable on Saturday against Hyde Park. The junior scored five touchdowns in the Vikings’ 41-18 win at Winnemac Park.

“We expect Reggie to make big plays,” Olson said. “He had an injury over the summer and missed Week 1. He was kind of shaking off some rust last week and this was the game where he got comfortable and you could really see that with him hitting the holes and really giving us that extra burst on the offensive side of the ball.”

Mitchell had 14 carries for 156 yards.

Hyde Park (0-3, 0-1 Public Red) led 6-0 early. Junior Amarion Parker intercepted Amundsen quarterback Elmir Gjeka’s first pass of the game. The Thunderbirds cashed it in a few plays later on a 12-yard TD pass from Jakhai McCormick to Rashad Simmons.

Mitchell scored the next four TDs. All-Public League lineman Derrick Weems is a force on both sides of the ball for the Vikings (3-0, 1-0). He had a sack and two tackles for a loss.

“[Weems] and I have known each other since first grade,” Mitchell said. “We grew up together and it is special getting to run behind him. I don’t think they were ready to handle how good he is.”

Gjeka was 8-for-11 for 117 yards with one TD and one interception. Senior receiver Wyatt Perry had three receptions for 56 yards for Amundsen and Jasper Carlson caught the TD pass.

The Vikings beat Niles North Week 1 and Leo in Week 2. Many Public League schools can go years without defeating a suburban team or a Catholic League opponent, so that’s an impressive start to the season.

Olson has guided Amundsen to the state playoffs in five of his nine seasons. The Vikings haven’t won a playoff game yet.

“We came out a little lackadaisical today,” Olson said. “Throughout the week of practice there were things the coaches were correcting. We need to tighten things up if we are going to compete against Taft next week.”

McCormick, a junior, also ran for a 45-yard TD for Hyde Park.

“We have to get better at the finer points of the game,” Thunderbirds coach Douglas Hicks said. “The game is still about running, blocking and tackling and [Amundsen] did that better than us.”

Hyde Park is on its third coach in three years.

“They got the right person now,” Hicks said. “This isn’t a stepping stone job for me. I’m going to turn this into the job that everybody else wants.”