West Aurora’s Michael Williams, who has ‘always been the smallest,’ puts himself in the running with big game

Junior running back Michael Williams is fast becoming the complementary piece of what could be called an electric ground game for West Aurora. And his timing couldn’t be better.

While 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior Bryce Riley is definitely the No. 1 option for coach Nate Eimer, the 5-7, 155-pound Williams is developing into a legitimate breakaway threat for the Blackhawks.

“The best running back duo in the state,” Williams said with a smile. “Bryce has taught me a lot of things. We worked together the whole summer. He was just teaching me the game.

“I already knew how to play the game but like making my IQ way higher than it already was. He just helped me sharpen my skills a lot, and watching him made me a way better player.”

Williams and Riley were both on top of their games on a hot, steamy Friday night, each topping 100 yards rushing and providing sparks when the Blackhawks needed it most in a 49-21 Upstate Eight West victory over host Streamwood.

Williams, who didn’t get his first touch until late in the second quarter, followed a 9-yard run with a 41-yard TD off a sweet cutback move that mirrored some of Riley’s best carries.

It sent West Aurora (1-2, 1-0) into the locker room with a 28-14 lead at halftime, which was extended to 90 minutes due to flashes of lightning north of the stadium.

“We’ve got a 1-2 punch and you have to use it,” said Eimer, who dialed up just two passes from senior quarterback Tyler Fecht. “You keep doing a thing until they stop it. They weren’t stopping it, so we stuck with what was working.

“I’ve felt for the last couple weeks Williams has just been close to breaking a couple and didn’t finish them. (Friday night) he was tough — really good.”

Williams came through with a strong second half when the teams returned, finishing with 10 carries for 144 yards and two more TDs to push West Aurora past the Sabres (1-2, 0-1).

“Mike’s special,” Eimer said. “I thought the big thing Mike did was give us a spark when we needed it. The game was kind of flat. They were keying on Bryce because he’s all over the stat book.

“I thought Mike stepped up and had a big game. I’m really proud of him.”

Riley seems to relish his role as a senior leader for a team that isn’t loaded with experience.

“Michael is a young back,” Riley said. “He has a lot to learn, but a lot of people underestimate him because of his size. That just boosts his mentality even more. They think he’s little and not gonna be good, but he hits those holes hard.

“He makes guys miss, he can block, he can catch and he can do it all. I would put him out there. He’s a nice back and he’s good to have in the backfield with me.”

Riley, who finished with 232 all-purpose yards Friday, provided the jolts early as the Blackhawks used big plays to counter the grind-it-out attack used by Streamwood.

Riley’s first two carries went for TD runs of 42 and 46 yards before he zapped the Sabres with an 88-yard TD on a kickoff return in the second quarter. He now has 459 yards rushing for the season after a 10-carry, 144-yard performance.

“We had a lot of inside time this week because of the heat and went over kick returns a lot,” Riley said. “Streamwood kicks to the boundary (sideline) a lot. The kicker doesn’t kick deep.

“His second one, I figured was coming to me. I had to wait for my blocks and let them form. I made some guys miss, then saw the hole and green grass, and I hit it.”

Williams, meanwhile, keeps looking at the big picture. He doesn’t worry about his lack of size.

“Varsity is an adjustment but not huge,” he said. “People are bigger, stronger, faster, but I’ve always been the smallest, so it’s kind of just like always.”