King overcomes West Chicago

West Chicago coach Bill Bicker made it clear what his team had to do after Saturday afternoon’s 20-16 season-opening loss to visiting King of the Chicago Public League.

“We need kids to make plays. They can’t be where they are supposed to be and just watch,” he said. “The kids on the other side of the field were not afraid to make plays.”

Both Wildcats touchdowns came as a result of a broken play by King and a turnover by the Jaguars. But Bicker said West Chicago had opportunities to create more tunovers and didn’t. The Jaguars fumbled the ball six times and lost it only twice.

King fumble on a punt snap but recovered the ball. But it put the Wildcats on the Jaguars 5-yard line, and that’s where Danny Lazzerini took it in from on the next play with 4:20 left until halftime. That put West Chicago within a point, but the Jaguars led at halftime 12-7.

King had the ball to start the third quarter and on the third play of the drive coughed the ball up again and West Chicago’s Colin Lelito grabbed it at the Jaguars 22.

His teammates responded with a 7-play drive capped by Lazzerini’s second score of the game on a 3-yard run.

Bicker made mention of the play of junior Parrish Benton.

“He’s our middle linebacker. He came ready to play and he tried to get the team ready. He got dinged up in the second half but kept going in and out,” Bicker said.

West Chicago travels to Larkin on Friday. Bicker believes the Wildcats are capable of making progress.

“That’s our hope, that we get better. That’s what we are going for,” he said.