West Aurora rolls Glenbard South
JaQuan Buchanan went from superman to ultimate decoy for West Aurora.
In the Blackhawks' Upstate Eight football encounter with fellow once-beaten Glenbard South, Buchanan was unstoppable with three consecutive West Aurora rushing touchdowns.
The Blackhawks' other skill players became the central beneficiaries as quarterback Will Tammaru feasted on the Raiders' defense as a result.
Throwing for all 285 career-high yards in the opening half in Aurora Friday night, Tammaru hit three different receivers - Moshe Rogers, Derek Dodson and Rhadarious Lomax - with long touchdown strikes as the Blackhawks' eight unanswered scores resulted in a convincing 57-13 victory.
"The DBs were biting off the fakes to JB," Tammaru said. "(Buchanan) made it so easy. I couldn't have done it without my receivers."
Buchanan had the Blackhawks' first three touchdowns on respective runs of 28, 13 and 7 yards.
The senior running back, who induced a third-quarter running clock with his fourth rushing touchdown from 25 yards out, finished with 149 of the Blackhawks' 320 rushing yards.
West Aurora (5-1, 5-1) erupted for 28-second quarter points as Tammaru had the first of his touchdown collaborations from 41 yards away with Rogers.
"(Buchanan) gave Will more options," said Lomax, who turned a simple wide-receiver screen into an 80-yard scoring reception down the left sideline. "(The running attack) gave other players a chance to make plays."
Glenbard South (4-2, 4-2) could manage only 10 yards' rushing in the contest.
West Aurora soon had the ball back after judiciously using its first-half timeouts late in the second quarter.
Tammaru needed only one play for the Blackhawks' most picturesque touchdown.
Dodson, who set up the Blackhawks' go-ahead first-quarter touchdown with a 54-yard reception and run, caught a Tammaru bomb in stride for a 56-yard score and 42-7 halftime cushion.
"It was predetermined," Dodson said of the play. "I saw (the ball) in the air and was able to track it down and bring it in."
"(Dodson) didn't fail," Tammaru said. "He deserved (the touchdown)."
When West Aurora reserve running back Bryson Puckett added another long third-quarter touchdown run from 51 yards away, the Blackhawks were on their way to amassing a season-high 605 yards of offense.
"When you have to play a school three times your size, it is a disadvantage," Glenbard South coach Ryan Crissey said. "But West Aurora was just physically superior to us. They have great athletes."
Glenbard South quarterback Nick Plaso connected with Tavion Keith, who spearheaded the Raiders' offense with 8 catches for 91 yards, from 4 yards out to help forge the lone tie at 7-7.
Glenbard South soon had the ball in plus territory on its ensuing possession, but West Aurora scored 50 straight points after 3 straight incompletions ruined the drive.
"That was a huge momentum swing," Crissey said of the Raiders not scoring on their second possession.
Plaso had the Raiders' other score on a late keeper.