A bounce-back win for Lisle

After back-to-back weeks of nail-biting, sleep-depriving losses, the Lisle football team's sleep patterns were ready to return to normal Friday night after the Lions posted a 49-0 Interstate Eight Conference Small Division victory at Westmont.

"It was tough," junior defensive back/receiver Cameron Stitt said of the consecutive 6-point setbacks to Peotone and Wilmington, "but our coaches helped us prepare as best as we can. Coming into this game, we came as hard as we have for all of our games."

Stitt was a standout on both offense and defense. He recorded both his first two-interception and two-touchdown games to highlight a complete Lisle (4-3, 3-2) attack. The Lions rolled up 327 yards on offense and limited the Sentinels (1-6, 0-5) to minus-38 yards rushing while defensively recording four interceptions and four sacks of Westmont quarterback Brenton Baldwin.

Stitt's first pick came two plays after Mark McGrath had given the Lions a quick 7-0 lead with a 48-yard run. Then, two plays after Stitt returned the interception 37 yards, he hauled in a 30-yard scoring pass from McGrath for a 14-0 lead. Two plays after that, Jake Ventrella picked off Baldwin before McGrath raced 23 yards for his second score. The Lions closed their 28-point first quarter with Grant Haen's 5-yard score. Haen's sack of Baldwin on fourth down then set up McGrath's 34-yard TD hookup with Stitt on the first play of the second quarter.

With Baldwin, who threw the ball an arm-wearying 52 times, completing multiple first-down throws to Michael Thompson and Marquis Thomas, the Sentinels worked their way to the Lisle 3-yard line on their next possession. But on fourth down from the 3, McGrath picked off a Baldwin throw 2 yards deep in the end zone and raced 102 yards for a 42-0 lead with just less than eight minutes remaining in the half. By mutual consent of both coaching staffs, the final 31 minutes 48 seconds of the game were played with a running clock. Josh Jamison closed the scoring for Lisle with a 6-yard run in the third quarter.

"You've got to do the right things to win games and I thought we did that against Wilmington (last week), but it didn't work out for us," said Lisle coach Paul Parpet Sr. "The kids enjoyed this week because they got to work on pass skill all week, and I thought we came out and played well."

Back on the winning track, Lisle turns its attention to the final two games of the season, with the playoffs still firmly in sight. First up, a visit from Manteno for an Interstate Eight crossover contest.

"We've got to win, that's how we have to look at it," Parpet said. "Manteno will be a big one, a tough game for us."