Willowbrook 41, Hinsdale S. 14

With a wide-open final score like 41-14, it's hard to think of Friday's Willowbrook-Hinsdale South football contest as being excessively close.

But there was a time -- such as the entire first half -- when victory was available for either team.

The play that broke Hinsdale South's back was itself a broken play.

Facing third-and-12 from its own 48, Willowbrook quarterback Kevin Pohl had to scramble, unable to find an open receiver. When a receiver came open, it was Milton Colbert. Pohl found Colbert, and the result was a completion to the Hornets' 5-yard line.

Two plays later Pohl ran in from the 2, the Warriors lead was 28-7, and the West Suburban Gold contest was never as much in question again.

"Those are momentum-changers," Willowbrook coach Mark Olson said. "We always talk to the kids about how there are about five plays in a game that can really change momentum. It's 21-7 and, bam, we hit a broken play like that and go in and score. For a high school player, that wears on you."

That result of that Pohl-Colbert connection and the resulting touchdown quieted Hinsdale South's large homecoming crowd. More importantly, things grew quiet on the Hornets' side of the field as well.

"I think you could hear the wind go out of our sails on the sidelines," Hinsdale South coach Alex Bitto. "That put us down three scores. We like to run the football, and that sort of put us out of our game."

Willowbrook (5-2, 3-2) dominated the second half, especially with its defense. Hinsdale South (2-5, 1-3) gained 18 yards in the third quarter and added 6 further yards in the fourth quarter before a late 61-yard TD run by Jonathan Sterling.

"In past games we've come out flat in the second half," Willowbrook linebacker Brian Hennig said. "We decided to step it up and come out ready to play."

Willowbrook scored 34 straight points, breaking from a 7-7 tie. Pohl accounted for 5 TDs, 3 rushing and 2 passing. Wayne Bolden was also devastating, rushing for 97 yards while catching a pass for 28 further yards.

As a team, Willowbrook gained 400 offensive yards.

"We were taking advantage of some plays and we made some things happen," Olson said. "When you're doing that, I guess, you're going to come out on top."

Hinsdale South got a 104-yard rushing night from Dan Hopp but was unable to muster cohesive drives as the game progressed.

"Our D-line played pretty phenomenal tonight," Hennig said. "They stopped up the offensive line, which allowed the linebackers and safeties to get off blocks and make some tackles."