Willowbrook slips past Downers Grove South

With less than two minutes left in Friday's contest against Downers Grove South and its playoff hopes slipping away, Willowbrook needed a big play.

And, boy, did the Warriors ever come up with one.

Facing a 5-point deficit and a fourth-and-10 situation after three incompletions, quarterback Billy Degnan found Ron Reitz behind the Mustangs' defense for a 66-yard touchdown. And after the visitors missed a field goal in the closing seconds, Willowbrook walked away with an improbable 23-22 decision.

The Warriors improved to 5-3 on the season with the win and most importantly, can clinch a share of the West Suburban Gold title and an automatic postseason berth with a victory over Leyden in Week 9.

"Coach (Nick Hildreth) talks about making big plays when you need to," Reitz said. "I wanted the ball to come to me and I'm glad it did. They trusted me to get the ball. I was thinking, 'Catch it and take it to the house.' We did not want to go out (in our last home game) with a loss. Now next week is a huge game, it's our Super Bowl, and it is what we've been hoping for this whole year. We just have to finish."

Degnan, after buying some time in the pocket, was drilled as he unleashed the throw. The senior was on his back when Reitz found the end zone.

"I did not see him catch it," Degnan said. "I heard the crowd go crazy and I hoped it was a touchdown. That was a routine play that we practice thousands of times. It just happened to come at the biggest moment of the season."

Willowbrook has won three games in a row after falling to 2-3 with a loss to York on Sept. 25, each of which was virtually a do-or-die affair. With a low amount of playoff points, the Warriors are expected to need six victories to get in.

"We talked about that, that our season was on the line in every game," Degnan said. "This is everything you want. If you would have told me before the season that going into Week 9, everything that we've worked for, to win conference and to make the playoffs would be on the line, I would have taken it. We are right there. We are a team that fights."

Degnan also found Josan Murphy for a 64-yard TD strike on the last play of the first quarter. Mike Dembowski added a 42-yard field goal as the home team led 17-16 at half.

"There were a ton of ups and downs but give credit to our kids for continuing to battle," Hildreth said. "We talked about it after the York loss, that our goals were still in place. It was a four-step process and we were going to take it one at a time. We are now going to step four."

Downers Grove South took its last lead with 11:19 left in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard run by Sam Adank. Jonathan Caudell-Dotson also added two rushing scores and finished with 155 yards on 22 carries.

"Willowbrook is a good team," Mustangs coach Mark Molinari said. "But that has been the story of our season. We are our own worst enemy. We are good enough to play with anybody but also good enough to get beat by anybody."