Downers South feels better after beating Willowbrook
Even while winning the last two weeks, Downers Grove South didn't feel great.
Friday night at Willowbrook, that all changed. The Mustangs welcomed back a pair of key players and running back Josh Williams and middle linebacker Jim Campion paid big dividends in Downers South's 37-0 defeat of a Warriors team that had opened West Suburban Gold play 2-0.
On the first play from scrimmage, Williams, a sophomore back who had been out with an ankle injury, appeared to be bottled up in a traffic jam near the line of scrimmage. But he escaped out of the pack and went on to score a 54-yard touchdown just 24 seconds into the contest.
It was just one of several big plays that went the Mustangs way on Friday, but with the way the visitors' defense played, it was all that was needed for Downers South to improve to 3-2, 3-0 in the league. Willowbrook managed just 5 first downs on the night and was forced to punt 8 times. A ninth punt attempt resulted in a fumble in to the end zone that was recovered by Mustang Bryan Ruggiero late in the first quarter to make the score 14-0.
"This is a feel-good for our kids," Downers South coach John Belskis said. "Even after we won the last couple games we didn't feel like we played all the great. We felt better after the Glenbard West loss."
Campion hadn't felt all that great watching from the sidelines this season after breaking his collarbone just prior to the season opener. But he and lineman Kelly Ryan helped snuff out the Warriors' ground game.
"Coach talked about how the defense had to step up, and this feels good since they're one of the top teams in our conference," Campion said. "The first four games haven't been our best, and we wanted to have a big game tonight. You have no idea (how hard it was to watch from the sidelines while injured). But it's all about the 10th week."
While the defense was tossing a shutout and the special teams added a touchdown, Williams gained 122 yards on 8 carries and quarterback Chandler Whitmer completed 12 of 24 passes for 163 yards and TD passes of 12 yards to Jason Jozaites and 5 yards to Ryan Smith.
Willowbrook managed 97 yards of total offense, and coach Mark Olson felt the long Williams run on the night's first play and the fumbled snap that resulted in a second Mustangs TD negated what was otherwise a solid effort by the Warriors defense for most of the first half.
"It's frustrating," Olson said after his team fell to 2-3, 2-1. "We have to make plays. I thought we had him stopped, but to his credit he got away. Then it came down to momentum and field position and Downers Grove South had the advantage there."