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Willowbrook seniors lead the way

There is no better time for the senior class to shine than on Senior Night.

Willowbrook's seniors did just that in a 47-14 football win over Proviso East on Friday in Villa Park. The win keeps Willowbrook (4-3, 3-1) in the playoff hunt as it enters the final two weeks of the season. The Pirates' (1-6, 0-4) loss comes a week after earning their first win of the season.

The Warriors jumped out to a 14-0 lead after one quarter behind the senior duo of quarterback Billy Degnan and wide receiver Jonathan Kelso. They connected on two touchdowns passes of 12 and 15 yards.

The two finished with 4 touchdowns in the game.

The chemistry that Degnan and Kelso continue to display, as well as Degnan's ability to spread the ball around, ensured that Willowbrook would be playing meaningful games as the season winds down.

"It's a testament to these guys who put work in during the off-season and were throwng a minimum of once a week … developing that chemistry over time," said Warriors coach Nick Hildreth.

Willowbrook racked up 15 first downs in the first half, allowing the Pirates to only run 17 plays and earning 2 first downs.

Not to be outdone by the seniors, Warriors sophomore running back Jack Jessen gained 146 yards on the ground.

Once halftime was reached, the game was in the hands of the Warriors.

Despite the loss Pirates coach Thomas Williams pointed out his team's strong points.

"We're staying positive, and we're going to come out next week and give everything we've got," Williams said. "Last week we had four of our starters on the offensive and defensive line that were out, and it kind of showed tonight. At least now I can see what some of the younger guys can do, and we'll be ready for next week."

The Pirates scored utilizing their own senior running back Carlton Lawrence, who scored on touchdown runs of 70 and 30 yards. Those runs were not lost on Hildreth, who has seen this happen too much as of late.

"The last two weeks, it's been big plays," said Hildreth. "It's one or two guys blowing responsibilities, and it's costing us. To beat good football teams, especially next week, those things aren't going to fly."

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