On a Lincoln-Way East team with big names all over the field, juniors Gage LaDere and Brody Gish he hasn’t had the highest profiles this season.

But as the calendar turns to November and the regular season gives way to the playoffs, LaDere and Gish are standing for the No. 1 in the area.

LaDere, a 260-pound defensive tackle, had his second pick-6 of the season and Gish scored two touchdowns as the Griffins beat No. 10 Naperville Central 28-7 Friday night in frankfort.

Lincoln-Way East (9-0) trailed for the first time all season when Naperville Central (8-1) forced a turnover and then scored on a 64-yard pass from Sebastian Hayes to DeShaun Williams 55 seconds into the game.

But a Griffins defense led by LaDere linemen Caden O’Rourke and Michael Jemilo shut down the Redhawks the rest of the way, and Lincoln-Way East’s offense gradually wore down Naperville Central’s defense.

“We had some injuries tonight and some guys finished the game less than 100 percent with some toughness,” East coach Rob Zvonar said. “Some guys had to come out of the game. So it was probably a good night to have 90 men on your team.”

Especially guys like LaDere and Gish.

LaDere had his first interception return for a touchdown in a 49-3 win over Stagg in Week 3. The stakes were much higher this time when LaDere picked off Redhawks quarterback Sebastian Hayes and ran it back 63 yards to break a 7-7 tie at the halfway mark. through the second trimester.

“To me, he’s a Division I defensive tackle,” Zvonar said. “They’re going to look for somebody taller (than the 6-2 LaDere) first. But then they’ll go back to the footballers and get him.”

“I just saw the ball in the air and made a football play,” LaDere said. “I have to thank Caden O’Rourke and the other D-linemen for getting to (Hayes}. I also have to thank everyone else on defense for blocking. They really helped me get into the end zone.”

Did LaDere know he had that kind of speed?

“No, I didn’t,” he said.

Gish’s quickness was established throughout the season as he teamed with Western Michigan senior running back Zion Gist in the Griffins’ backfield.

“I’ve always played two (runners),” Zvonar said. “We had a primary guy and an additional guy. And what’s been fun to learn through Zion’s injuries is that we now have two primaries.”

Gish had 12 touches for 72 total yards, including a 24-yard touchdown run to tie the score 7-7 early in the second quarter and a three-yard TD pass from Jonas Williams for to make it 21-7 late in the third.

Gist had 16 touches for 68 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

“We give each other that breath and make each other better,” Gish said.

Williams, an Oregon commit, completed 15 of 23 passes for 153 yards with one interception.

For Naperville Central, Hayes went 19-for-37 for 222 yards with two interceptions. Williams had eight catches for 122 yards.

“He’s a great quarterback,” Zvonar said. “I like (Hayes). But then we started playing tighter, tougher coverage, putting some pressure on him.”