Callaway, looking to ‘turn it around,’ sparks Aurora Christian to 2nd-round win
Junior running back Jalen Callaway took things personally for Aurora Christian.
The Eagles understood that it was time to unleash the beast Saturday afternoon. Everyone knew it. But for half of the game, it was also turning out to be easier said than done.
Callaway powers a potent offensive attack. While he realizes the further you advance in the playoffs, the bigger the challenge, he also believes expectations are there for him to meet.
“We came out slow, but we’re a second-half team,” Callaway said. “We’re always going to find a way to take back. We played a bad half and it was 7-7.
“It got a little personal for me. I saw some articles from down south this week that didn’t mention me. We knew we were gonna come out and turn it around.”
And turn it around they did, sparked by two big plays from Callaway and a hard-nosed defense. The result was a 28-7 win over visiting Maroa-Forsyth in a Class 2A second-round game.
Callaway, who entered the game with 1,422 yards rushing and 447 yards receiving, found it tough going in the first half as the Trojans (9-2) — coming off back-to-back state runner-up finishes — held him to just 11 yards on seven carries.
At the same time, sophomore running back Luke Baumann had just 24 yards on three carries for Aurora Christian (10-1). Sophomore quarterback Jesus “Juju” Vasquez produced a 4-yard touchdown run that was answered by a short TD pass by Maroa-Forsyth’s Aiden Williams.
Senior right tackle TJ Anderson, an Eastern Illinois commit, didn’t mince words.
“We weren’t happy to be tied 7-7,” Anderson said. “Our O-line didn’t perform great. We just knew we had to get out of our own heads and step it up. Coming out at halftime, we took control.
”They had changed it up from what we saw on their film, switching it all around and doing a lot of slants, blitzes and stunts we hadn’t seen.”
Late in the third quarter, Callaway took a direct snap and swept around left end before galloping in from 25 yards out for a TD. It gave the Eagles the lead for good.
Callaway padded that lead after Maroa-Forsyth turned the ball over on downs, bobbling a screen pass from Vasquez before gathering it in and capping off a 77-yard reception for another TD.
The win sends Aurora Christian to next weekend’s quarterfinals at Gridley (11-0).
“The lights were in my eyes,” Callaway said of his bobbling grab. “I went up and got it, just busted out and took it. I’m always gonna come out for my team and find a way.”
Baumann set up the first TD in the second half with the first of his two interceptions. It tied the program’s single-season record of eight interceptions.
“Maroa-Forsyth was switching it up because they knew we could run the ball,” Baumann said. “Obviously, Jalen again. I commented last week the dude is a freak, an absolute freak.
“That and our linemen, of course. The trust we have in our line, based on what they’ve done all year, is what gives us that sense of security to keep running it.”
Baumann, who added a 56-yard run and a 46-yard TD run, finished with 130 yards on the ground. Callaway complemented 117 yards receiving with 55 yards rushing.
“We kind of figured it out in the second half, got a couple big chunk plays and tried to keep pressing it,” Aurora Christian coach David Beebe said. “It seemed like they were doing something different every play for a while there.
“It’s great to have both Jalen and Luke — great to have a double punch.”
The same was true defensively. Junior defensive back Carson Moreno added an interception, junior Tucker Lofton provided a strong pass rush and senior cornerback Chet Morris was good in coverage.
“That was a signature night for the defense,” Beebe said.