After Lincoln-Way East gave up two touchdown runs of 80-plus yards in the first quarter Friday night, senior defensive tackle Hank Ravetto knew the Griffins needed to respond.

They made adjustments, clamped down in the trenches and took over the rest of the game.

“We watched the film on the sideline, saw how to fix it and fixed it,” Ravetto said. “We just knew we needed to anchor down, and that’s what we did.”

The Griffins did, shutting out Homewood-Flossmoor the rest of the way and reeling off 38 straight points to run away with a 52-14 SouthWest Suburban Blue victory in Flossmoor.

James Kwiecinski ran for 100 yards and four TDs on 21 carries, while Braden Tischer completed 12 of 20 passes for 247 yards and two TDs for Lincoln-Way East (7-0, 3-0).

Kamrin Cox ran for 101 yards on 11 carries — including an 84-yard TD run — and Jeremiah Turner ran for an 80-yard score for H-F (4-3, 1-2).

After those two long TD runs, both in the first quarter, the Griffins’ defense was dominant. H-F totaled just 76 yards outside of the two plays.

“We’re disappointed in those plays,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “We pride ourselves in being a defense that doesn’t give up those explosive plays, especially on the ground.

“But our defense played really well for three quarters after that. I was happy with the way we responded.”

Ravetto is the veteran leader on a defensive line that includes sophomore Caden O’Rourke and junior David Wuske.

“I’ve tried to make sure everyone’s doing the right thing,” Ravetto said. “Everyone else is great, too, though. We’re all leaders on the defense.

“Caden’s got the O’Rourke gene, so he’s going to be good. Caden and David are both hard workers. They’re both going to be studs in the years to come.”

O’Rourke had two sacks, Wuske added a sack and Ravetto made numerous big tackles, including two for a loss.

“Hank’s solid,” Zvonar said. “He’s the senior and played last year. All those young guys kind of got thrown in the fire last year, and I’m really proud of them.”

Tischer is happy to not have to go against Lincoln-Way East’s defense.

“Sometimes, when I’m on the sideline watching and I just see them throw the quarterback down, I’m just like, ‘Geez, I’m glad I’m not in that spot,’ ” Tischer said. “They’re beasts up front.”

Turner’s 80-yard TD run came one play after Kwiecinski’s second TD — on a 1-yarder — and tied the game 14-14 late in the first quarter.

It seemed like a shootout was in store. While H-F’s offense slowed down, the Griffins kept going.

Kwiecinski, who ran for five TDs on Sept. 23 against Bolingbrook, piled up four by the end of the first half Friday. He scored on runs of 2, 1, 6 and 4 yards.

“The run game played a big part on the offensive side,” Tischer said. “The way the O-line handled it, that was a big part of our success.”

Tischer connected on a pair of long TD passes in the second half, hitting Jimmy Curtin on a 49-yard score and Jayden Cook for a 41-yarder.

“The big plays in the second half definitely slammed the hammer down,” Tischer said. “We felt like we ended the game and finished strong.”

Zvonar was pleased seeing his offense continue to take big strides.

“They just keep getting better,” he said. “It’s such a balanced offense. You can’t just focus on taking away the run or taking away the pass because we’re doing both really well.”

The Griffins’ offensive players also enjoy watching the defense — including those big guys up front — take control.

“They’re just awesome,” Kwiecinski said of the defense. “It doesn’t matter who we play. It’s been like this for years and years.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.