By Mark Gregory
@Hear_The_Beard
After winning its last two games and holding a 3-2 record heading to Plainfield Central, Joliet West knew it needed to keep the winning ways going in order to lock up its place in the IHSA playoffs.
With four games left, the Tigers need two wins to be playoff eligible, but want as many as possible.
They were able to overcome some early game mistakes and keep the Wildcats winless on a rainy homecoming Saturday with a 20-6 win.
Terrence Neal
“The weather did affect us in the beginning, we are not really used to that,” said West’s Ezekiel Tulloch. “But, after we got the tempo going and we got in a rhythm, we showed what we could really do except the penalties shot us in the foot sometimes.”
Plainfield Central had its chances early in the game as Jordan Saxon intercepted Jaxson Aubrey and on the next possession Kamrin Dolbee blocked a punt, but the Tiger defense held tight on both occasions.
“They are not a bad team. They drove the ball down the field and they made some plays,” Joliet Wet coach Jason Aubrey said of the Wildcats. “Fortunately for us, the defense stepped up and stopped them. They made the plays that needed to be made when we needed them made. Our defense bends, bends, bends, but we don’t break. If you give a team like that hope, they are going to feel good and they are not a bad team. That quarterback (Marcus Hayes) is good, (Lovell Houston, Jr.) is a really good running back and they are big up front. They are going to win some games, it is just going to take them some time. I think (Plainfield Central coach) Jon (Pereiro) is doing a great job, he will get them going.”
Kendrick Roach opened the scoring for Joliet West when he took a snap from the quarterback position and plunged in from 3 yards out with nine minutes left in the second quarter.
On the next series, Tulloch scored on a fourth down play to go ahead 13-0.
When the weather cleared just before the intermission, the West pass game opened back up and the screen game that the Tigers have used all season came to life.
Jaxson Aubrey would go on to complete 16 of passes 25 for 227 yards and a 68-yard touchdown pass to Omari Ferguson in the fourth quarter after Hayes had brought Plainfield to within 13-6.
Ferguson caught 7 passes for 122 yards, while Alec Vonch added four grabs for 75 yards.
Tulloch paced the team in rushing with 92 yards on 25 totes.
“I love the chemistry with this team, we always have each other’s back.” Tulloch said. “We never just leave anyone by themselves, we are always there for each other. We utilize our speed with those screens and it opens the offense up for us. It gets the running game going and the passing game going. All we have to do next week is work harder and focus on the next game and we will be great.”
The Tigers now need at least one more win to secure a playoff spot for the second time in school history and the second time in three seasons.
“With this conference, if we get five wins, we should have 40 points. I want six wins, I want seven, but, yeah we are sitting in a good spot,” Jason Aubrey said. “We are happy with the W, but we are not satisfied with the way we played.”