Leyden's Maldonado runs wild again

One could use all the glowing prose possible to describe the game Leyden running back Angel Maldonado had against Willowbrook on Friday night, but maybe the raw numbers have more of an impact.

Twenty-six carries for 292 yards. Five touchdowns. Wow.

Backed by his performance, Leyden mashed its way to a 40-6 West Suburban Gold victory in its homecoming game against the Warriors in Northlake.

"Tonight was our kind of night," Maldonado said. "We're a running team and this rain totally helped us. We did what we do best, which is run the ball."

With an offensive line of Elmer Guzman, James Flosi, Jason Borntraeger, Max Schammert and Art Napier, and tight end Danny Kiebler blasting open holes, Maldonado had lots of open space to run to as he broke the single-game school record he set last week.

Maldonado now has a program-best 2,859 yards for his career as he surpassed the 2,786 by Jermaine Shaw (1997-99).

When Willowbrook (2-4, 1-3) defenders finally got their hands on him, the Eagles' running back was usually able to shake free for a few more hard-earned yards.

Even after a big night like that, Maldonado wasn't feeling tired or beat up.

"I feel great," he said. "I love this. I could do this all day."

Leyden coach Tom Cerasani said once Maldonado breaks through the line, not many players are going to want to tackle the big back - who is listed at 220 pounds on the team roster.

"He runs hard and he's a big kid," Cerasani said. "He's the strongest kid on the team. All the stuff he did in the off-season with the weight lifting definitely paid off because he is hard to tackle, especially on a night like this."

The win bumps Leyden's record up to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the division. It was an important game for an Eagles team looking for a playoff berth this season after missing out last year.

"We want to be in the driver's seat, and now we are at 4-2," Cerasani said. "It feels good to be in the driver's seat right now."

One more win would make Leyden eligible for postseason selection, but Cerasani said the team would need to get to 6 wins to be absolutely sure of a playoff berth.

If the coach keeps calling Maldonado's number, it is going to be tough to keep Leyden from winning games.