Glenbard N. runs by W. Aurora
Justin Jackson was looking to atone himself after one of his few mistakes Friday night in Aurora.
West Aurora had narrowed the first-half Glenbard North three-score football lead to a one-possession game four plays after Jackson fumbled.
The junior more than redeemed himself on the Panthers’ ensuing possession, however, taking a pitch and rumbling for 49 of his game-high 240 yards.
The third Jackson touchdown of the DuPage Valley Conference game doubled the Panthers’ lead to 28-14, and a pair of Glenbard North interceptions on back-to-back West Aurora possessions enabled the Panthers (4-1, 3-0) to remained undefeated in league play.
West Aurora fell to 1-4 and 0-3.
“We got a little complacent (offensively in the third quarter),” Jackson said of three consecutive punts and his lost fumble to open the fourth. “(On the last touchdown run) our guard (Mitch Siver) pulled through and picked up their middle linebacker (Matt Williams). (Siver) picked him up to the left, and I cut to the right. It’s very hard in the DVC to play on the road.”
Held to 4 first-half first downs and 57 yards of offense, West Aurora finally broke through on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Booker Ross’ 1-yard touchdown run cut the Blackhawks’ deficit to 21-7, and the senior broke two tackles less than 90 seconds later to cash in on the Panthers’ second lost fumble.
But Jackson was unstoppable on the Panthers’ next drive, carrying five times and all but 10 of the 79 yards that Glenbard North gained on the six-play drive.
“We got that (last Jackson) score when we needed it,” Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens said. “I thought we should have certainly been up 28-0 at halftime.”
Jackson had touchdown dashes of 21 and 10 yards for Glenbard North in the first half, and quarterback Brian Murphy rumbled 29 yards for the Panthers’ third score.
But the West Aurora defense still played admirably throughout the game.
Tony Oros’ end zone fumble recovery enabled the Blackhawks’ to dodge one major bullet, and West Aurora twice stopped Glenbard North on downs to deny further damage.
“Our defense has done a great job all year,” West Aurora coach Nate Eimer said. “This is the third tight (game) we have dropped.”
Quintez Jones was once again the Blackhawks’ statistic leader with a team-high 51 yards rushing — despite three sacks — and 118 yards through the air.
“I had to get that second (fourth-quarter) score,” Jones said. “The defense had been keeping us alive the whole game.”