Lake Zurich quarterback Reid Pfeifer has stayed the course.

Pfeifer was an untested junior backup thrust unexpectedly into duty last season, when the Bears didn’t qualify for the playoffs, and the first game of his senior season was a lopsided loss. None of that has deterred him.

“There’s something that Lake Zurich carries,” Pfeifer said. “We live for these words across our chest, and every day in practice we’re practicing LZ tradition. All of my teammates have my back, and it’s all positive talk. Every week, we’re improving our tradition and becoming better teammates, and it’s no different for me.”

Pfeifer’s commitment was rewarded Friday night, when he adroitly guided the offense during the Bears’ 33-0 nonconference road win over Antioch. He led touchdown drives of 10, six and seven plays on the first three possessions.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Pfeifer finished 8 of 9 for 289 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard late-game pass-and-catch to senior wide receiver Christopher Chang, to help Lake Zurich (1-1) regain momentum seven days after a 35-3 loss to Fremd.

“When you’re really prepared for the game, nerves don’t really come much,” Pfeifer said. “You’re kind of just excited to play. It gave us that chip on our shoulder to come in and play as hard as we can. The only thing we can do is fix our mistakes from last week.”

The mistakes were fixed on both sides of the ball against Antioch (1-1). In addition to Pfeifer’s passing, senior running back Kaden Abrantes gained 74 yards on 12 carries, and senior running back Ryan Hasemeyer added 42 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, Lake Zurich’s defense wasn’t giving an inch against Antioch’s potent option rushing attack, which was held under 150 yards. Senior defensive back Evan Peterson had an interception and a key early stop on a fourth-down run by the Sequoits as the Bears recorded their first shutout since the 2023 regular-season finale.

“Especially after last week, you have two options,” Peterson said. “You can either quit or keep fighting.

“We stayed together and leaned on our leadership from guys like Reid. The offense scoring like it did definitely makes it nice for us, getting a nice break on the sideline, being able to go over everything so we’re ready for the next drive.”

Lake Zurich quarterback Reid Pfeifer (7) waits for a play call during a nonconference game at Antioch on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)

Pfeifer, who first entered the lineup after then-senior quarterback Cole Kenyon suffered an injury during Lake Zurich’s Week 4 loss to Libertyville last year, has come a long way.

“He was on, he was poised, he was focused and it’s how he should play,” Lake Zurich coach Ron Planz said. “Watching him play in this game, compared to the first game he came in last year, is night-and-day different, with so much more confidence.

“His confidence comes from being comfortable. He understands what we’re trying to do, he knows why we’re calling certain things, why we put stuff in the game plan, and he’s able to go out and execute it.”

Indeed, Pfeifer and Planz can have effective give-and-take conversations in which defensive tendencies or vulnerabilities can be discussed in real time. That came into play on Chang’s touchdown.

“I think the bond that coach Planz and I have made over the last two seasons is pretty special, for examining a lot of standpoints of the game,” Pfeifer said. “I give him feedback from what I see on the field, and he gives me feedback from what he sees on the sideline. A lot of the plays we have are made up on the spot on the field.”

Lake Zurich’s Christopher Chang (0) celebrates with teammate Ryan Hasemeyer after scoring a touchdown during a nonconference game at Antioch on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)

Pfeifer may not wing the ball around. But he knows the Bears still have the potential to march down the field in a variety of ways.

“Throwing the ball is more of a specialty in our offense,” Pfeifer said. “If the running game is working and we’re getting 5 yards every time, what’s the need in throwing the ball?

“Throwing the ball is definitely in our bag we can pull out any time we want. Our receivers this year give me a lot of confidence because of their route running, knowing that they’ll be open every time and all I have to do is place the ball in the right spot for them.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/06/football-lake-zurich-antioch-reid-pfeifer/