Wheaton Academy can't stop Magee, Aurora Christian
One team tried to control the football and win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
The other took to the air after struggling to run the ball.
Aurora Christian and Wheaton Academy combined for 876 yards of total offense and 79 points Friday night but it was the Eagles (3-1, 2-0) who emerged on top, defeating the Warriors (3-1, 1-1) 48-31 in Suburban Christian Conference Gold action in Aurora.
While Wheaton Academy quarterback Brian Pell threw for 390 yards and 4 TDs, the Warriors' defense didn't have an answer for Aurora Christian's vaunted ground game. Led by junior tailback John Magee's 239 yards rushing and 4 TDs, the Eagles amassed 305 of their 447 total yards on the ground and scored touchdowns on 7 of their 8 offensive possessions.
"I just thank God for the offensive line, fullback and everybody else that played in front of me," said Magee, who carried the ball 23 times and scored on TD runs covering 2, 7, 31 and 2 yards, respectively. "I just kept running. I followed my blocks and the linemen did the rest."
After Wheaton Academy grabbed a 3-0 lead on Sam Cote's 34-yard field goal, the Eagles marched 75 yards in 11 plays with Magee capping the drive with a 2-yard TD run. Grayson Roberts then tossed a 2-point pass to Sheldon Magee as Aurora Christian took a 8-3 advantage.
The Eagles added to their scoring on the first play of the second quarter when Roberts (8-of-9, 142 yards) connected with Sheldon Magee (4 receptions, 74 yards) on a 31-yard scoring strike. Roberts also found Dylan Smith on the 2-point pass that made it 16-3.
On their next possession, John Magee ran 7 yards through the middle of the Warriors' defense to extend the Eagles' lead to 22-3.
Wheaton Academy tallied its only first-half touchdown in the final minute of the second quarter when Pell tossed a 2-yard scoring pass to Tyler Bosse, cutting the halftime deficit to 22-10.
But the Warriors couldn't slow down the Eagles' offense. Two plays after Sheldon Magee's 54-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter, twin brother John raced 31 yards for his third TD of the night, extending the Eagles' lead to 28-10.
John Magee's fourth and final touchdown run, this time from 2 yards out, capped the Eagles' scoring with 6:52 remaining.
"He's special," Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe said of John Magee. "This is two weeks in a row where he's had 200-plus yards rushing.
"I tried to keep his name quiet all summer but there's no more being quiet. I've been telling every college person I know that these kids (Magee brothers) are special athletes. They're fast, explosive and hard to bring down. They're football players and they're smart kids. It's great to have one but I'm fortunate to have two of them."
Wheaton Academy junior receiver Jimmy Johnson had 8 catches for 137 yards in a losing effort.
"John Magee is a heck of a ballplayer," said Warriors coach Ben Wilson. "I love his intensity and the way he plays the game. "The bottom line is that they beat us at the line of scrimmage tonight. They were tougher than us."