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Aurora Central clinches playoff berth

Needing a victory to secure its third consecutive state playoff berth, Aurora Central Catholic's football team was hoping for a fast start against Wheaton Academy Friday night.

Enter Brandon Babler.

The senior multi-purpose threat returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown and later added 2 receiving touchdowns and a 91-yard punt return for another score to help lift the Chargers (6-3, 2-3) to a 49-28 Metro Suburban West win over the Warriors (5-4, 1-4) at Performance Trust Field in West Chicago.

"We told them that we had to play fast," said Chargers coach Brian Casey. "You don't get a whole lot better than that - 12 seconds into the game. We knew they had some holes on special teams and I think we exploited them."

After the defense forced a 3-and-out series, the Chargers' offense went to work as quarterback Matt Rahn tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to Babler on a fourth-and-4 play to make it 14-0.

Defensive lineman Khalil Guisse helped force another 3-and-out series with a sack, and the Chargers scored their third TD of the opening quarter when Rahn hit Colin Baillie with a 32-yard scoring toss.

"He was great tonight because we were able to combine the run and pass," Casey said of Rahn, who added 69 yards rushing on 9 carries.

Falling behind 21-0 after a little more than eight minutes was not the start that Warriors coach Brad Thornton envisioned.

"It's tough two weeks in a row to have to dig yourselves out of a hole," said Thornton. "It was frustrating."

Wheaton Academy fought back to within 21-14 on a 15-yard TD pass from David Thrasher to Sam Martinez and a 1-yard TD plunge by Camden Meade with 4:13 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers answered with a 10-play, 68-yard scoring drive that was capped by Rahn's 1-yard sneak on the final play of the first half.

Roman Padilla recovered a fumble on the Warriors' opening possession of the second half and made them pay with a 22-yard TD run to extend the Chargers' lead to 35-14.

"That was a critical turnover at the beginning of the half there," admitted Thornton.

Babler helped put the game out of reach with his 91-yard punt return midway through the third quarter.

"Coach called it all week - he said we're going to score on a punt return," said Babler, who capped his night with a 46-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter. "I don't think he planned on the kick return but I got that one in there, too."

Babler finished with 4 receptions for 112 yards and a pair of TDs.

"I have no problem telling you that he should be the area Player of the Year," said Casey. "Batavia has a great team and Geneva has a great team but at the end of the day you take Brandon Babler off this football team and I'll let you figure out where we're at."

Tight end Marino Costello had 9 catches for 122 yards and a TD for the Warriors, who await tonight's pairings show to determine their playoff fate.

"I think we're in it depending on what the cutoff is," said Thornton. "Obviously this isn't the way you want to be rolling into the playoffs but we tried to encourage the guys and tell them it's a chance to correct some things and get better."

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