I arrived about an hour early, in time to watch the second half of the sophomore game, which East also won, 21-19. Two players from that game deserve mention: Raiders quarterback Quincy Woods and Griffins running back Michael Jobbe. Woods, only a freshman, is a talented runner and should be able to step in to the varsity role after junior quarterback Aaron Bailey moves on after next year. (More on Bailey later.) Jobbe is listed as only 5'8", 165, but I swear he looked a lot bigger than that from where I was sitting. He's a powerful runner and will be interesting to watch in the future.
Because I got there so early, I found a parking spot that even George Costanza would envy. I then purchased my ticket without anyone asking me if I was a senior. (So far, so good.) It was dinner time, so I bought a brat (soy-based) and a bag of Doritos (in honor of Arch West) at the concession stand. Someone in the back yelled out to the girl waiting on me, "Don't forget to tell 'em we got Jersey Mike's subs!"
"That's okay," I said. "Reminds me too much of Chris Christie. I've had enough of him this week, you know what I mean?"
The kid just gave me a quizzical look and handed me my change.
I took my seat on the home side and prepared to watch two of the best teams in the state. Both were undefeated in the Southwest Suburban Blue conference, arguably the best in the state. (Yes, you read that right, Catholic League Blue fans.) But little did I know that I'd also see the best running quarterback I've seen all year (Bolingbrook's Aaron Bailey), the best drop-back passer (Lincoln-Way East's Blake Winkler) and the best defensive line (East's Joel Magrum, Cody Larson, Kevin Bayer and Matt Solner).
Another pleasant surprise was the Bolingbrook marching band, although I had a little trouble placing their fight song at first. Sounds familiar ... where have I heard that tune? ... it's the Notre Dame victory march! Seemed out of place amid a sea of red and black, but the band was good.
The game began innocently enough with both teams going three and out. On the next set of downs, however, Bailey burst through the line on a quarterback keeper and ran 60 yards for a touchdown. This kid is fast, I thought. And on the Raiders' next possession, Bailey outdid his previous run with an 86-yard streak down the sideline for another score. OMG! This kid is really fast! Suddenly it was 14-0 in the first quarter and I was wondering if I was in for a rout.
But the Griffins settled down and Winkler showed why he is being recruited by the Ivy League. He definitely has the best arm I've seen all year and is extremely poised. In fact, the play isn't over until he's down on the ground. The Raiders learned that the hard way twice, first when they thought they had Winkler on the run in the second quarter only to see him complete a 59-yard touchdown pass to Justin Corbett. And then again in the third quarter when Winkler turned a near sack into a 17-yard scramble for another touchdown. (Winkler, who finished the night with 127 yards passing, would have had much better numbers if his receivers hadn't dropped so many balls thrown right in their hands.)
So the showdown between the two undefeated teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 14. You couldn't ask for a better game!
But Lincoln-Way East was on a roll. They had scored 14 unanswered points and figured out how to contain Bailey. The Griffins' defensive line was the difference in the game -- they're big and they're quick. And that's not all: twice defensive lineman Kevin Bayer was brought in to carry the ball and he ended up scoring the game's winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
So East is now 6-0, has beaten four undefeated teams in a row and should go deep in the playoffs. Winkler impressed me at quarterback, even if his receivers did not. (J. J. Robertson, whom I kept referring to as "J. Peterman" in my head, was well covered all night by 5'9" Diaron Rhodes. I have to think the Illinois-bound senior is better than that; his numbers on the season certainly are.) But the Griffins will need to get more out of receivers Justin Corbett and Jay Yancy, and running backs Nick Colangelo and Tyler Starke, if they are to beat the likes of Loyola, Mt. Carmel or Maine South in the postseason.
And the same could be said about Bolingbrook: Bailey can't be left to carry the Raiders all by himself. Although receiver Chandler Piekarski had a good game, running backs Jaden Huff, Omar Stover and D. J. Pruitt will have to turn it up a notch in the playoffs.
1 comment:
Bolingbrook Raider #23 Diaron Rhodes is a SHUTDOWN corner! Watch the games, check the stats, talk to Bolingbrook's coaches or the coaches from opposing teams. Many good receivers have gotten lost on Rhodes Island just ask Lincoln Way East and Illinois recruit J.J Robertson. In his own words Bolingbrook has some of the best DB's he has ever faced well guess what he only faced one on Sept 30 and that was Diaron Rhodes!
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