West Aurora shares in Week 9 victory
Quintez Jones is the quarterback of the future for West Aurora.
The sophomore, who alternated with fellow signal-callers Curtis Townsend and Richie Renner in the Blackhawks’ season finale against Glenbard East Friday night, hit Anthony Oros on the fly for a 70-yard scoring strike two minutes into the fourth quarter in the teams’ DuPage Valley Conference football game.
It proved to be the only second-half points of the game as the Blackhawks held on for the 17-14 victory in Aurora.
“We had a double post pattern called,” said Jones, who also connected with Cole Childs in the first half on a 34-yard touchdown strike. “I saw (Oros) all by himself with no safety help. (Oros) happened to be wide open. (The play) worked out real well.”
On a night when West Aurora virtually self-destructed with 18 penalties for 177 yards, the Blackhawks’ defense repeatedly came to the rescue.
West Aurora (4-5, 2-5) harassed Glenbard East quarterback Joe Kotch all evening, recording 4 sacks and 11 total plays for losses.
Brandon Warren, the Blackhawks’ star three-year linebacker, opened the scoring by trapping a Glenbard East ball-carrier in the end zone for a safety.
Warren would bookend his performance with a critical fourth-down sack late in the fourth quarter.
“On the safety the coach (defensive coordinator Tony Melchiori) called a blitz and the gap was right there,” Warren said. “It was a good way to start my last game as a Blackhawk.”
But the Rams’ defense had an equally stingy attitude, and Markel Brackett blocked a West Aurora punt late in the first quarter to reverse the prime field position the Blackhawks had enjoyed for the first 10-plus minutes.
Glenbard East (1-8, 0-7) would subsequently score on its next two possessions, with Kotch cashing in on third-down conversions with 24- and 31-yard scoring strikes to wideout Mike Fahey.
“I saw them in press coverage both times, and I’ll take Mikey Fahey over any cornerback in this conference,” said Kotch.
The first score gave Glenbard East a 7-2 lead after the successful extra point, but West Aurora answered behind Jones to take back the lead.
Overcoming five penalties on the drive, Jones hit Childs on a third-and-16 from the Rams’ 34-yard line to complete the 13-play march.
Booker Ross, who led all rushers with 90 punishing inside yards in 22 carries, had a 2-point conversion to give West Aurora a 10-7 lead.
But the Blackhawks were assessed a 15-yard penalty for excessively celebrating Childs’ score, and the Rams made them pay when Fahey burned the West Aurora secondary with 3 minutes, 47 seconds left before the break.
West Aurora limited Glenbard East to 20 yards rushing in 27 attempts.
“Our defense was phenomenal,” West Aurora coach Nate Eimer said.