Team effort leads Elgin
Kenny Williams is not the only offensive weapon the Elgin football team has on its roster.
That was the point the Maroons wanted to make Friday night in their season-opener at Memorial Field.
Plainfield Central, and whatever other team watches Friday's game film, found that out.
Elgin scored 3 touchdowns in the first 45 minutes without as much of a contribution from Williams as usual -- other than being a decoy and blocking -- in its 27-18 nonconference victory over the Wildcats.
"Everyone thought it was just Kenny, Kenny, Kenny," Elgin junior Jamal Cook said. "It's not just Kenny, it's a team."
After Plainfield Central marched down the field for a touchdown on the opening drive, but missed the extra point, the Maroons kept the ball out of Williams' hands. Junior quarterback Tim Roth hit Robert Hayes for a 30-yard completion on their first play from scrimmage. Terrell Walker's 20-yard run set Elgin up at the Wildcats' 10. Roth faked a handoff to Williams and ran around left end for a touchdown and a 7-6 lead.
Plainfield Central drove down to the Elgin 5-yard line on its next possession, but Cook intercepted a Cyle Schultz pass at the goal line to end the drive as Elgin took control of the momentum.
"If we don't get that pick, we may not win this game," Maroons coach Tom Kim said.
On the final offensive play of the first half, Roth took a bad snap on a field goal attempt and fought his way into the end zone as the Maroons' took a 14-8 lead into halftime.
"We dug ourselves an early hole," Wildcats coach John Jackson said. "We didn't play very inspired defense in the first half."
Grant Saxen's 9-yard TD run with 8:45 remaining in the third quarter brought the Wildcats to within 2, 14-12, but the 2-point conversion pass was incomplete.
Roth hit Cook on a middle screen late in the third quarter and Cook ran past the Wildcats defenders for a 70-yard score. This time Roth couldn't come up with a big play after a bad snap on the extra-point attempt so the Maroons held a 20-12 lead.
Plainfield Central had a chance to tie after scoring a touchdown with 2:37 remaining in the game, but again failed on a 2-point conversion attempt to leave the score 20-18.
After an onside kick attempt that was ruled the wildcats touched too early, Williams showed why so many teams will focus on him all season. The senior running back, who has rushed for more than 2,200 yards and 23 touchdowns in the last two seasons, had 8 touches for 22 yards going into the possession. Williams took a handoff from Roth off left tackle. He got into the opened field, broke a tackle and juked his way past a couple more defenders for a 49-yard touchdown run with 2:27 left.
"We know teams are looking at Kenny," Kim said. "One of the things we had to do was gameplan (around Kenny). Kenny knew this and he understands that his teammates are going to have to open this up for him."