Willowbrook ends playoff drought

QUINCY - Staring down an offense that had grinded out an eight-minute drive on its previous possession, Willowbrook linebacker Kevon Dobbins knew something significant had to happen or another early playoff exit was likely.

What took place was arguably the biggest play of Dobbins' life.

Willowbrook scored three touchdowns in the final two minutes for a 34-13 victory.

Quincy led 13-12 when it took possession at its own 7-yard line and 3:51 remaining in regulation Saturday in the Class 7A football first-round playoff game at Flinn Stadium. After picking up one first down by drawing the Warriors offsides on third-and-3, Quincy likely needed one more conversion to run out the clock.

That was the message Quincy coach Rick Little left his players with when Willowbrook called the first of its three remaining timeouts with 2:02 to go and Quincy set to face second-and-11 from its 18-yard line.

"We were talking about how we end the game," Little said. "First downs were more important than touchdowns at that point. With first downs we can kill the clock and win the game."

However, on a run between the tackles, the Blue Devils' Cameron Woodard was popped 2 yards downfield and the ball was jarred loose. Dobbins caught the ball in midair and scrambled 20 yards to the front corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

"My free safety (Jonathan Kelso) made a block in front of me and I just saw the end zone in front of me," Dobbins said. "Before that I thought the game was over. That gave our team hope."

Without that play there'd be no second-round matchup next weekend at home against Glenbrook North.

"That's a game-changer," Dobbins said. "That's a season-changer."

It's history-making, too.

Willowbrook (7-3) hadn't won a playoff game since 1990 and hasn't played a home playoff game since 1994.

"This means the world to us," said Willowbrook running back Jack Jessen, who rushed for 148 yards and helped cement the victory with a 10-yard touchdown run with 1:14 to go. "This is the biggest thing. This is what we've been playing for the entire year."

Quincy's grinding offense nearly took that away.

After the Warriors missed a 24-yard field goal with 44.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter that would have broken a 6-6 tie, the Blue Devils (8-2) chewed up more than eight minutes on a 17-play, 80-yard drive that featured Woodard picking up 20 yards on a fake punt on fourth-and-7 from the Willowbrook 44-yard line.

The Blue Devils finished the drive with senior fullback Deven Smith carrying the ball on the final four plays, the last a 1-yard touchdown run for a 13-6 lead with 4:29 to go.

"After that I'm thinking, 'Let's get the ball back and put another three- or four-minute drive together and end it," Little said.

Quincy did get the ball back, only after Jessen ripped off a 51-yard touchdown run with 3:51. The Warriors failed on the 2-point conversion as the Blue Devils' Cody Summers dragged down Kelso in the backfield.

Nearly two minutes later, the Warriors delivered the hit that altered the season for both teams.

"The kid made a great hit," Little said. "I'm not sure any of us would have been able to hang on to the football."

The Blue Devils couldn't recover. They turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing possession, leading to Jessen's touchdown run, and Jacob Entwhistle returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown to finish a chaotic and stunning ending.

"There's been some tough moments," Little said at the end of his 10th season at Quincy. "This is one of the toughest."