Willowbrook beats Hinsdale South
On Senior Night Willowbrook got a very interesting mix of senior leadership, as well as stellar play from numerous sophomores in a hard-fought 14-7 victory over Hinsdale South.
With both teams coming off shutout losses last week, points were again at a premium Friday night in Villa Park for a West Suburban Gold matchup.
Willowbrook (2-6, 2-4) took a 7-0 lead behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Steve Ferguson as he hit senior receiver Tyler Adams for a 54-yard touchdown.
After taking the lead the Warriors relied heavily on their rushing game, as they chewed up the clock for numerous long stretches. Spearheading the running attack was senior co-captain Jabril Jones. Jones slashed his way for a 20-yard touchdown scamper with 45 seconds left in the first half to give Willowbrook a 14-0 halftime lead.
"The line played good, everyone played good, the seniors came out to play and we put together a win," Jones said. "We felt like we had to win coming off a losing streak. We just had to win."
Jones' effort was exactly what Willowbrook coach Mark Olson needed to see. He couldn't say enough about his team's determination.
"Our kids played with a lot of heart, put that in bold," Olson said. "Our kids have perservered in times of adversity. Jones said give me the ball, give me the ball. When you get a senior like that who steps up and wants to be the man, that's great."
Paired with the senior leadership of players like Jones, co-captain offensive lineman Alex Liewald, running back James Bolden and receiver Tyler Adams was a defense lead largely by sophomores.
"We started seven sophomores on defense and we're on our fourth quarterback," Olson said of his team's lack of experience.
Despite the abundance of sophomores on the field, Willowbrook bottled up Hinsdale South (2-6, 1-4) for the majority of the game.
"We've had trouble of late scoring points and they did a good job of taking away our zone rushing game," Hinsdale South coach Alex Bitto said. "They did a great job of taking the air out of the ball and we didn't get too many possessions in the second half."
In total the Hornets only had four second-half possessions, as the Warriors methodically ran out the clock after the Hornets scored their touchdown with 6:53 left in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Nick Sarocco found receiver Nick Chacko on a fourth-and-goal fade route for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
"We started to get more blocking and guys were getting open quicker," Sarocco said. "But we have to make up for our mistakes and win our last home game for Senior Night."