Hinsdale Central running back Christian Bobak makes it a long night for Proviso West

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HILLSIDE — Hinsdale Central’s Christian Bobak found the end zone for a second time Friday night against Proviso West on a 36-yard third-quarter run, only to have the moment taken away when it was nullified by a holding penalty.

Undeterred, the junior running back received another opportunity on the same drive, pounding his way in for a 13-yard score and allowing the Red Devils to begin pulling away to a 42-14 West Suburban Silver victory in Hillside.

“I was really excited [scoring before the penalty],” Bobak said. “I was just thinking about coming back and doing it again, so I really was not disappointed.”

Bobak took advantage of getting the majority of the Red Devils’ carries against the Panthers (1-3, 0-2), with teammate Juwan Edmond on the sideline with a minor injury. In Week 3, Edmond ran for 278 yards in a victory over York.

Bobak knew on Monday he was going to start, so he had most of the week to prepare.

“I just try to practice the exact same way I am going to play,” Bobak said. “They [coaches] do not really change things for me, I was just getting more repetitions, that was all.”

Bobak rushed for 152 on 32 carries, including a one-yard TD run in the second quarter following a Jimmy Thompson 49-yard interception return.

Bobak collected 121 of his rushing yards in the second half, when the Red Devils (3-1, 2-0) pieced together three scoring drives, mostly on the ground.

“The linemen were doing the exact same thing in the first half, so it was mostly my fault,” Bobak said. “[In the] first half the holes were there, I was just coming late. The coaches told me to just go and get in the hole and run.”

When Edmond returns to the field, Hinsdale Central plans on using a tandem approach.

“We will have a two-headed monster, with two guys that can do it,” Red Devils coach Dan Hartman said. “Where Juwan is a little bit more of a scat-back, Christian is more of a downhill runner. He makes two cuts and he is getting north and south and getting what [yardage] he can.”

  • Equally impressive for Hinsdale Central was Thomas Ives, who made his first start at quarterback this season. The senior, who is the third different starting quarterback that the Red Devils have used in four games, rushed for three scores, including two in the second half.
  • The Panthers were led by reserve quarterback Dennis Bryant, who completed 22-of-34 passes for 307 yards. “He played hard,”  Proviso West coach Famous Hulbert said. “We actually thought he could play better. The sky is the limit for him, he just has to take advantage of his opportunities.”
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