Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Dennis Nelson2014-10-25T00:07:02-05:00https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/dennis-nelson/rss2014-10-25T00:07:02-05:002019-04-18T17:39:39-05:00Takeaways propel Lincoln-Way North past Thornwood for share of league title
<p>Lincoln-Way North made sure the drama of senior night was relegated to pre-game festivities Friday in Frankfort.</p><p>Thornwood turned the ball over on its first four possessions and Lincoln-Way North took advantage on its way to a 49-18 Southwest Suburban Red victory during the final week of the regular season.</p><p>The win gave the Phoenix (8-1, 6-1) their second straight eight-win regular season and a share of the league title with Lincoln-Way West (8-1, 6-1). Both teams will learn their playoff fate Saturday evening.</p><p>“We knew we wanted to come out sharp, play well, take care of business and get ready for the real challenge next week,” Lincoln-Way North coach George Czart said.</p><p>As fate would have it, a pair of seniors led the charge Friday. Quarterback Ryan Arthur went 6-of-13 for 107 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Jake Ostrowski (three catches, 57 yards) was on the receiving end of two of those scores.</p><p>“We just played our game and did what we’ve been doing all season,” Arthur said.</p><p>Lincoln-Way North scored 14 first-quarter points off Thornwood (1-8, 1-6) turnovers. The Phoenix led 21-0 after a quarter and 28-6 at the half.</p><p>Lincoln-Way North’s Dan Brown recovered a fumble at the Thornwood 10 on the second play of the game. Ryan Arthur hit Kyle Ostrowski for a 10-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead with 11:10 left in the first quarter.</p><p>“To score on the first play helps a lot to settle our nerves,” Arthur said.</p><p>Three plays later, Drew Slager’s interception set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Branch (11 rushes, 103 yards and two touchdowns) for a 14-0 lead. A 3-yard run by Branch made it 21-0 at the end of the quarter.</p><p>“We worked on taking away some of those routes and I was happy to see our guys get some of those early turnovers,” Czart said.</p><p>Thornwood quarterback Travis Roberson (15-of-24 for 212 yards, three touchdowns) threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Drew Evans (seven catches, 115 yards) with 7:44 left in the second quarter, cutting the Phoenix lead to 21-6. Arthur hit Jake Hradek for a 20-yard touchdown and a 28-6 lead at the half.</p><p>Arthur threw 38 yards to Ostrowski and 3 yards to Shahem Attallah for touchdowns to push the lead to 49-6 after three quarters. Ben Bajic’s 16-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter started a running clock, per the state’s mercy rule.</p><p>“We’re excited to get going in the playoffs,” Arthur said. “It’s exciting to be co-conference champs, but [the playoffs] are what we’ve been working for all season.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/10/25/18490881/takeaways-propel-lincoln-way-north-past-thornwood-for-share-of-league-titleDennis Nelson2014-10-17T22:51:13-05:002019-04-18T19:06:35-05:00Steven Frank returns, Oswego 'D' stands tall to top Plainfield North
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<p>A game between the top two offensive teams in the Southwest Prairie Conference came down to a defensive stand Friday in Oswego.</p><p>Oswego kept Plainfield North out of the end zone as time expired to post a 35-28 win that clinched its fourth straight league title and 27th consecutive conference victory, dating back to the start of the 2011 season.</p><p>“That’s what you get when Oswego and Plainfield North play,” Panthers coach Brian Cooney said. “We knew going in it was going to be a tough game and it was.”</p><p>For the second straight week, the Panthers (7-1, 6-0) clinched the victory late in the fourth quarter.</p><p>“This was the second week in a row it came down to the last drive of the game,” Cooney said. “Last week, it was our offense, and this week, it came down to our defense. I don’t like the way we’re winning, but we’re winning.”</p><p>With Oswego leading 35-28 and driving for a clinching score, Treshon Weddington (26 carries, 174 yards) was tackled by Max Anderson short of a first down at the Plainfield North 6.</p><p>The Tigers (5-3, 4-2) then drove 89 yards on 12 plays to the Oswego 5-yard line with 1.6 seconds left to play.</p><p>An incomplete pass in the end zone ended the final regular-season home game for Oswego.</p><p>The win marked the return of quarterback Steven Frank, who was sidelined since Week 3 with a foot injury. He completed 8 of 19 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns.</p><p>“Our offense finally started to click in the second quarter, then out defense kept us going at the end,” Frank said.</p><p>The teams combined for four TDs during a 2-minute, 16-second span in the second quarter.</p><p>After Plainfield North’s Quintin Hoosman (46-yard run) and Oswego’s Connor Cavins (4-yard run) traded first-quarter touchdowns, the game was tied at 7-all late in the second quarter.</p><p>That’s when the offensive fireworks began.</p><p>Hoosman rumbled 30 yards for a TD, giving the Tigers a 14-7 lead with 4:28 left in the first half. Steven Frank hit Jose Wagner (72 yards) and Zach West (73 yards) for long TD passes, sandwiching a 29-yard TD run by Hoosman in forging a 21-all tie at the half.</p><p>A 2-yard run by Vargas and a 7-yard pass play from Frank to West gave the Panthers a 35-21 lead heading into the fourth. A 66-yard TD pass from J.D. Ekowa to Zach Jarosz cut the lead to 35-28 midway through the fourth.</p><p>“Everyone is happy we accomplished (winning the league championship) again,” Frank said. “Now, we have to beat Plainfield South next week to finish off the season.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/10/17/18504306/steven-frank-returns-oswego-8216-d-8217-stands-tall-to-top-plainfield-northDennis Nelson2014-10-10T22:47:06-05:002019-04-18T18:13:54-05:00Carter Turnquist, Zach West take Oswego past Plainfield East
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<p>Oswego was in a dubious position late in its Southwest Prairie matchup Friday at Plainfield East.</p><p>The Panthers were on the verge of having a 25-game conference winning streak snapped, trailing 21-17 with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter.</p><p>However, quarterback Carter Turnquist lofted a 27-yard touchdown pass to Zach West to help pull out a 24-21 win, keeping Oswego atop the league with two weeks left in the season.</p><p>“We showed perseverance and grit,” Oswego coach Brian Cooney said. “Our backs were against the wall. Either we perform or lose. We performed at the end.”</p><p>“We played a very good game and I can’t be any prouder of these guys,” Plainfield East coach Mike Romeli said. “They made one more play than us and that’s why we’re on the short end.”</p><p>That play was the third huge pass play of the second half between Turnquist and West. Seconds before the TD pass, the two hooked up for an 11-yard pass play on fourth-and-six at the Plainfield East 42.</p><p>Trailing 14-9 at the half, Turnquist threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to West to give Oswego (6-1, 5-0) a 17-14 lead after three quarters.</p><p>“They made two big plays in the second half and unfortunately, we ended up on the short end of the stick,” Romeli said.</p><p>“Our running game always sets up our passing game,” West said. “The corners were coming and the coaches were smart enough to know what plays to run.”</p><p>Treshon Weddington ran 33 times for 141 yards to lead Oswego.</p><p>“This was a special game to us to recognize what kind of team we are,” Turnquist said.</p><p>Plainfield East (5-2, 4-2) seemed to clinch its first win in the series when Cole Kotopka hit Feras Hleihel for an 18-yard TD and 21-17 lead with 5:44 to play in the fourth.</p><p>However, West (four catches, 98 yards) made sure the streak stayed intact.</p><p>“(The streak) was on the back of our mind and we weren’t going to let this one slip,” West said. “They are a playoff contender. We just have to keep working and grinding.”</p><p>Oswego turned the ball over three times in the first half.</p><p>Oswego scored on its first possession when Erik Vargas Jr. went in from the 1. Jake Mayon’s 1-yard TD run off the first Panther turnover tied it at 7-all after a quarter.</p><p>A sure touchdown by Oswego turned into a fumble at the goal line and a recovery by Jarvis Carter. However, Mayon was tackled in the end zone on the next play for a safety to give Oswego a 9-7 lead with 5:27 left in the second quarter.</p><p>Donte Hartsfield’s interception led to a 4-yard TD run by Mayon just before the end of the half. Plainfield East led 14-9 at the break.</p><p>“If you told us we were going to be minus-three in the turnover department, I could have told you the outcome,” Cooney said.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/10/10/18496131/carter-turnquist-zach-west-take-oswego-past-plainfield-eastDennis Nelson2014-10-04T21:29:07-05:002019-04-18T18:21:05-05:00Reavis tops Argo in OT to remain undefeated
<p>Reavis started the homecoming dance a few hours early Saturday at Hanke Stadium in Burbank.</p><p>The Rams coaches and players were dancing on the field shortly after defensive lineman Jakub Kacki emerged from a pile with a fumble recovery to end a 20-14 overtime South Suburban Red win over Argo.</p><p>They also were celebrating the fact Reavis moved to 6-0, 4-0.</p><p>“We’ve had a special season so far and we thought it we went to overtime, something special was going to happen and it did,” Reavis coach Tim Zasada said. “It was a very tough game,” Rams running back Calvin Jordan said. “I credit our offensive line. They just kept pushing and giving it all they got. Without them, we wouldn’t have gotten this victory.”</p><p>Reavis rushed for 234 yards.</p><p>“I’m not going to forget this homecoming for a long time,” Kacki said.</p><p>After Jordan’s 6-yard touchdown run gave Reavis a 20-14 lead in overtime, it was Argo’s turn. However, the Argonauts (2-4, 1-2) fumbled on the first play from the 10 and Kacki fell on the loose ball.</p><p>“I saw the ball on the ground and fell on top of it,” Kacki said. “That was all due to my teammates.”</p><p>“We’re never in a panic mode, ever,” Zasada said. “We kind of expected a game like this. This is a special group. I’m glad to be a part of it.”</p><p>Corde O’Neal’s 1-yard TD run gave Argo a 14-7 lead with 3:57 left in the third quarter. Jordan’s 8-yard TD run and Matt Mulica’s kick with 6:33 to play in the game sent the game to overtime.</p><p>On the first play of overtime, Jordan ran four yards to set up his third touchdown run of the game.</p><p>“I just wanted it,” Jordan said. “I’m a senior, this is my last year wearing this jersey and I wanted to give it my all.”</p><p>“He’s a senior, he runs hard, we can count on him, he had our backs and our O-line deserves a lot of credit,” Zasada said.</p><p>Jordan ran 35 yards for a touchdown to give the Rams a 7-0 lead with 1:41 left in the first quarter. On the next play from scrimmage, Argo’s Diamonte</p><p>Mallory (12 carries, 135 yards) rumbled 93 yards for a score. Rich James ran in the 2-point conversion and the Argonauts took an 8-7 lead.</p><p>Argo was threatening to extend its lead, but Khalid Norvell intercepted a pass at the Reavis 3 just before the end of the half.</p><p>“I’m never going to forget this homecoming, ever,” Jordan said.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/10/4/18497223/reavis-tops-argo-in-ot-to-remain-undefeatedDennis Nelson2014-10-03T23:43:08-05:002019-04-18T18:38:12-05:00Lincoln-Way East hits five straight wins after victory over Joliet West
<p>Facing a much-improved team a week after an improbable come-from-behind win over Homewood-Flossmoor could have set the stage for a trap for Lincoln-Way East.</p><p>However, the Griffins would have none of it.</p><p>Lincoln-Way East scored 28 unanswered points to break open a close game and post a 42-14 SouthWest Suburban Blue victory over Joliet West Friday in Frankfort.</p><p>No. 9 Lincoln-Way East (5-1, 4-0) won its fifth straight contest and 38th consecutive home conference game dating back to 2004. Joliet West fell to 3-3, 1-3.</p><p>“This most definitely could have been a trap game for us,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “We felt it there when it was 14-all. There’s no doubt it’s hard to refocus coming off a game like last week.”</p><p>A week earlier, Lincoln-Way East rallied from a 20-0 deficit to shock H-F 43-40.</p><p>“We had to stay focused and carry the momentum we had last week into this week,” senior receiver Paul Gossage said.</p><p>A pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by Liam Morrissey (28 carries, 103 yards, three touchdowns) helped the Griffins race to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Joliet West quarterback Alex Tibble threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Henderson and scrambled 39 yards for a score to tie the game at 14-all with 3:34 left in the half.</p><p>Morrissey’s 4-yard touchdown run, his 16th of the season, with 1:21 left gave the Griffins a 21-14 lead at the intermission.</p><p>“They had us on our heels defensively, and it became a football game,” Zvonar said. “We scored right before the half and finished the game. I was proud of the way our defense played in the second half.”</p><p>Lincoln-Way East quarterback Mike Weller (13-of-21, 224 yards, two touchdowns) and Gossage hooked up for the longest play from scrimmage. It was a screen pass that turned into a 59-yard touchdown and a 28-14 lead with 6:13 left in the third.</p><p>“It was a well designed play, and Mike made a great pass to me,” Gossage said. “That helped us get our momentum going, again.”</p><p>John Zelenika caught a pair of touchdown passes of 31 and 24 yards from Weller in the third and fourth quarters.</p><p>Tibble completed 20-of-40 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown for Joliet West.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/10/3/18499863/lincoln-way-east-hits-five-straight-wins-after-victory-over-joliet-westDennis Nelson2014-09-26T23:34:26-05:002019-04-18T17:40:26-05:00Unbeaten Rich East cruises to win over Rich Central
<p>It has been said it’s better to be lucky than good.</p><p>Rich East was both during a 34-29 Southland victory over Rich Central Friday in Olympia Fields. The win gives Rich East its first 5-0 start since 1997 in its Southland opener. Rich Central dropped to 3-2, 1-1.</p><p>“We beat a good Rich Central team, and we knew it was going to be a knock down, drag out kind of game,” Rich East coach Barry Reade said. “Our guys rose to the occasion and played well. It was a great football game.”</p><p>“Props to Rich East because they came in here and did what they needed to do,” Rich Central coach Terrell Alexander said. “They were tough, low to the ground and did things right.”</p><p>Rich East’s toughness translated into 343 rush yards.</p><p>“I give all the credit to the O-line,” Rich East senior running back Brian Stewart said. “They did a lot of work tonight.”</p><p>Stewart’s 105 yards on 24 carries was part of a lethal, three-pronged running attack. Marcel McDonald led the Rockets with 112 yards on 23 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Kendall Miller rushed 16 times for 74 yards and a score.</p><p>“Being 5-0 for the first time in long time feels pretty good,” said Stewart, whose interception set up the first touchdown of the game.</p><p>Luck came at the end of the first half.</p><p>On the last offensive play of the half, Rich East quarterback Latrell Burden threw a pass to the end zone that was tipped. Kendall Merritt came down with it for a 10-yard touchdown and a 20-14 lead at the half.</p><p>“That was huge for us, and we knew coming in it was going to be that kind of game,” Reade said. “We had to do what we do best and hoped things went our way, and they did.”</p><p>“It’s a game of inches,” Alexander said. “When you work real hard, those things tend to happen for you.”</p><p>McDonald’s 1-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter gave Rich East a 26-14 lead. Rich Central stormed back to take the lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by Dejaris Taylor. Jordan Fuqua’s two-point run gave the Olympians a 29-26 lead with 23 seconds left in the third.</p><p>Rich East’s game winning drive took 12 plays and nearly seven minutes. Miller’s 5-yard touchdown run and McDonald’s two-point catch ended the scoring.</p><p>Rich Central quarterback DaQuan Richie threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns.</p><p>It was the 10th win in the last 12 meetings for the Olympians.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/9/26/18490997/unbeaten-rich-east-cruises-to-win-over-rich-centralDennis Nelson2014-09-19T23:38:12-05:002019-04-18T19:07:25-05:00Hasan Muhammad-Rogers throws five touchdown passes for Richards
<p>Oak Lawn called time out to set its defense on a third-and-22 at the Richards 35.</p><p>It did little to slow the Bulldogs.</p><p>A screen pass from Hasan Muhammad-Rogers to Pat Doyle turned into a 65-yard touchdown and a 26-0 lead. Richards went on to post a 46-21 South Suburban Red road win over Oak Lawn on Friday.</p><p>The Bulldogs’ sixth consecutive win in the series pushed their marks to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the league. Oak Lawn dropped to 1-3, 0-2. The Spartans have allowed 118 points during a three-game losing streak.</p><p>“I thought we played a good first half, did a lot of good things, then got complacent,” Richards coach Tony Sheehan said. “We have to learn to put the hammer down.”</p><p>“I thought we competed tonight,” Oak Lawn coach Sean Lucas said. “We’re proud of the way we competed. We didn’t back down.”</p><p>Class 6A runner-up Richards has won back-to-back games after a 22-19 loss to Geneva.</p><p>“Our defense has been very good for the last three weeks,” Sheehan said. “We put our defense in some bad spots tonight and we can’t keep doing that. But, we have some young guys on defense who are getting better every week.”</p><p>The long pass play to Doyle was one of five touchdown tosses by Muhammad-Rogers to four different receivers.</p><p>“In the last few years, we haven’t run screens very well,” Sheehan said of the call. “It’s good to see we can do that. When (Doyle) gets the ball in space, he can do some special things. He’s a young sophomore with a lot of up side.”</p><p>“I just got some good blocking from the receivers and my linemen,” Doyle said. “We have some great blockers out there and that helps a lot.”</p><p>Leading 26-7, Roque Castro’s acrobatic interception led to a 4-yard touchdown pass from Muhammad-Rogers to Ryan Willett and a 33-7 lead at the intermission. Muhammad-Rogers completed 14-of-21 passes for 273 yards.</p><p>Willett also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass. Spencer Tears’ 24-yard touchdown catch started the scoring. Doyle, who led the Bulldogs with 78 yards rushing on 11 carries, also ran for a score as did Muhammed-Rogers.</p><p>Joe Robinson intercepted a pass and caught a pair of touchdown passes from Joe Cosenza for the Spartans. Cosenza (15-of-26 passing, 132 yards) also threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Steve Anaya for Oak Lawn.</p><p>After falling behind 26-0, Oak Lawn outscored Richards 21-20.</p><p>“We would have had to play a near perfect game to beat them,” Lucas said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. We’re going to continue to build.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/9/19/18504433/hasan-muhammad-rogers-throws-five-touchdown-passes-for-richardsDennis Nelson2014-09-05T23:38:37-05:002019-04-18T18:55:55-05:00Bolingbrook rebounds with rout of Romeoville
<p>A lengthy lightning delay did little to slow the quick-strike offense of No. 11 Bolingbrook on Friday in Romeoville.</p><p>A week after dropping its season opener as the top-ranked team in the Chicago area, Bolingbrook turned to its top playmakers and they delivered in a 51-14 victory over Romeoville.</p><p>Quarterback Adam Kline, running back/receiver Quincy Woods and running back Isaac Lane did most of the damage.</p><p>Woods finished with 187 total yards and two touchdowns, Kline was a perfect 8-for-8 passing for 179 yards and two scores and Lane rushed for two touchdowns. Both teams begin league play week three.</p><p>“Our playmakers made plays tonight and they have to for us to be successful,” Bolingbrook coach John Ivlow said. “That’s a good Romeoville team that made the playoffs last year. Everybody knows that. I hope they win out.”</p><p>“Our offensive line was balling and our defense was balling today,” Woods said. “With our offensive line doing that, we’re going to do great every game.”</p><p>Bolingbrook (1-1) totaled 479 yards of offense and did not punt, turning the ball over on downs once.</p><p>“That’s what we have to do and we have to stay healthy,” Ivlow said. “We feel the reason we’ve been stopped during our [postseason] runs is because of injuries.”</p><p>The game was delayed by lightning for almost an hour near the end of the halftime intermission. When play resumed, Bolingbrook scored two touchdowns and a field goal to invoke a running clock, per IHSA rules, with 9:05 left in the fourth quarter.</p><p>Defensively, the Raiders allowed just four first downs until the Spartans’ final drive.</p><p>“We have to improve and stay healthy,” Ivlow said. “That’s what we need to do. Now that the acclimation period is over and we can get back to regular practices, we’re going to get better. I think you are going to see a lot of teams get better.”</p><p>“We just have to keep working hard in practice,” Woods said. “Every practice should be a game so games should be easy. I don’t think anybody can stop our offensive line. It’s up to our offense this year to keep us going.”</p><p>Romeoville quarterback Kelvin Jones threw a touchdown pass and Gil Whitaker ran five yards for a score during the final minute for Romeoville (0-2). Bolingbrook led 21-6 after the first quarter and 34-6 at the half.</p><p>“We’ve played two tough teams to open up the season,” Ivlow said. “Our conference is tough and we feel we’re ready to get into it.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/9/5/18502634/bolingbrook-rebounds-with-rout-of-romeovilleDennis Nelson2014-08-26T07:31:46-05:002019-04-18T17:53:13-05:00Romeoville wins SWPC tourney; Minooka claims conference
<p>For the first time in five years, the Southwest Prairie Conference boys bowling championship will not be housed in Oswego.</p><p>Minooka entered Saturday’s league meet with a 10-point lead and made it stand to win the school’s third league title in the sport. The state-ranked Indians rolled a 6,118 and finished with 104 total points.</p><p>“For five games, we did great,” Minooka coach Derrick Rapsky said. “We had one bad game, an 886, which kept us from winning the tournament. But, we came back in the third game and won the afternoon.”</p><p>Romeoville rolled a 6,186 to win the tournament, but it was only good enough for second place with 90 points.</p><p>Individually, Minooka senior Justin Shepard led the local contingent of all-SPC performers, taking second overall, with a 1,347 six-game series</p><p>“We’ve bowled great all year and we bowled well today,” Shepherd said. “This is a good feeling.”</p><p>“I’m really happy for Justin Shepherd today,” Rapsky said of the conference runner-up. “He’s a senior who had a rough year last year. I was happy to see him finish second, overall, in the league.”</p><p>An 886 in game two could have snowballed into a second-place finish for the Indians. However, they rebounded to roll four-straight, 1,000 or better games and a 3,132 afternoon session.</p><p>“We got back into it and finished strong,” Shepard said. “The whole team bowled great in the second half.”</p><p>Zach Segatto, John Kaufmann and Dylan Pickett also earned all-SPC honors for the Indians.</p><p>Romeoville’s Dakota Vostry earned his third all-SPC award after entering the tournament with the highest average (221) during the regular season.</p><p>Other all-SPC awards went to Plainfield Central’s Bryan Blair and Ray Ciangiola, Plainfield North’s Eddie Pacetti and Romeoville’s Brandon Lisak-Talley. Plainfield North’s Aaron Dunn won the individual tournament championship with a 1,356. It’s the program’s first of any kind.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/8/26/18492962/romeoville-wins-swpc-tourney-minooka-claims-conferenceDennis Nelson2014-08-06T13:15:30-05:002019-04-18T17:25:30-05:00Plainfield Central plows over Plainfield East
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<p>William Perry reached folklore status after scoring a 1-yard touchdown during the Chicago Bears’ 46-10 win over New England in Super Bowl XX.</p><p>Fast forward 26 years and enter Plainfield Central’s Bryce Douglas.</p><p>The 6-foot-2, 320-pound senior defensive lineman was in the backfield on a second-and-one at the Plainfield East 1-yard line late in the first quarter.</p><p>The University of Illinois recruit took the handoff and plowed over the right side of the line, almost exactly the same as Perry did, helping propel Plainfield Central to a 28-0 road win Friday over Plainfield East.</p><p>“It was pretty cool,” Douglas said of the play. “I was just thinking not to fumble the ball and to get six points. It felt really good. I wasn’t going to let my teammates down.”</p><p>The win assures Plainfield Central (6-2, 4-2 in the SPC) a spot in the state playoffs. Plainfield East fell to 2-6, 2-4.</p><p>“We missed it last year and we didn’t want to go into the playoffs with five wins,” Plainfield Central coach John Jackson said. “It’s a good feeling to be in the playoffs.”</p><p>Jordan Ellingwood rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.</p><p>“It feels great,” Douglas said. “We were in the same position last year and didn’t make it. None of us have been there before, so this is a great accomplishment.”</p><p>Three of Plainfield Central’s touchdowns came off Plainfield East turnovers.</p><p>Plainfield East tried a fourth-down play on its first drive. However, the Wildcat defense held on fourth-and-one at their 30.</p><p>It paved the way for a 9-yard touchdown run by Ellingwood, which gave Plainfield Central a 7-0 lead with 3:37 left in the first quarter.</p><p>Plainfield East turned it over, again, on the first play of the next drive. Aikins Akwasi recovered at the Bengals’ 23.</p><p>It set the stage for Douglas’ fullback dive and second touchdown of the season, sparking memories of Perry’s 1-yard fullback dive.</p><p>“We figured, what the heck,” Jackson said. “He’s a great athlete. We put him back there and he’s somebody we can utilize when we need a yard or two.”</p><p>After stopping Plainfield East on another fourth-down try in the first drive of the second half, Ellingwood scored from 45 yards out to bump the lead to 21-0. Quarterback Mike Smiles added a 1-yard touchdown run later in the quarter.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/8/6/18488719/plainfield-central-plows-over-plainfield-eastDennis Nelson