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Deandre Holliday's huge pick-six sends Willowbrook to semifinals for first time since 1975

Sam Tumilty throws, runs for TD, has one of five Warriors' interceptions in 28-10 win over Lake Zurich

Holliday, though, also pondered his own place in that history. A Willowbrook senior, he recalled running on the grass field of youth leagues back in Villa Park, when he was 9 years old. Holliday was on the first youth team when Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth first came aboard as varsity head coach in 2011. "Now I'm here, senior year, 18 years old making plays for the varsity team on our way to the semifinals," Holliday said. "It's just a great feeling. I know this is big for coach Hildreth, and I know he means the world to me. Without him I wouldn't be here." Good thing Holliday is here. Holliday's 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final two minutes was the pivotal play in the Warriors holding off Lake Zurich. Haven Pryor added his own pick-six on the next play from scrimmage, and Willowbrook went on to a 28-10 win in the Class 7A quarterfinal. (Gregory Shaver)

By Joshua Welge

Holliday, though, also pondered his own place in that history. A Willowbrook senior, he recalled running on the grass field of youth leagues back in Villa Park, when he was 9 years old. Holliday was on the first youth team when Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth first came aboard as varsity head coach in 2011. "Now I'm here, senior year, 18 years old making plays for the varsity team on our way to the semifinals," Holliday said. "It's just a great feeling. I know this is big for coach Hildreth, and I know he means the world to me. Without him I wouldn't be here." Good thing Holliday is here. Holliday's 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final two minutes was the pivotal play in the Warriors holding off Lake Zurich. Haven Pryor added his own pick-six on the next play from scrimmage, and Willowbrook went on to a 28-10 win in the Class 7A quarterfinal. (Gregory Shaver)

Willowbrook (11-1), in the quarterfinals for the fourth straight year, finally broke through to the semifinals for the first time since 1975. "It's feels great. It's great to know that it's for Willowbrook," said Willowbrook senior Sam Tumilty, who ran for a touchdown, threw a TD and also had one of five Warriors' interceptions. "These past few years, what we've done, this is for all those guys that came before us." Holliday last year broke up a pass on a similar play to his interception in the waning moments of a quarterfinal game at Batavia. It was a game Willowbrook eventually lost in overtime. This time, with Lake Zurich driving for a go-ahead score, Holliday didn't hesitate. He jumped a short out route, picked off backup quarterback Jack Robertson, and went untouched down the right sideline for a TD and 21-10 lead with 1:37 left. (Gregory Shaver)

"That same pass last year, I was more hesitant, a junior. I broke it up but it should have been a pick," Holliday said. "I'm happy that I had a chance to make up for it. I'm a senior now, I need to make big plays." It was Holliday's second pick of the game, and he anticipated it beautifully. "I felt like they were going to do something short. They were trying to get little yards here and there," Holliday said. "So I anticipated them doing short toward the sidelines, read it and took it to the house." Hildreth, himself a Willowbrook grad, couldn't be happier. Willowbrook went 0-9 Hildreth's first year in 2011, at the time the program's fourth straight losing season. But the Warriors got back to the playoffs the next year, broke through to the quarterfinals in 2016, and now this. Willowbrook hosts Mount Carmel next week. "I got this job, my very first youth summer camp, Deandre is in that camp and it makes me feel old," Hildreth said, "but me being a Willowbrook guy and growing up here and living here and then getting those kids from the neighborhood out to those youth camps and seeing them improve and seeing them in big spots make big plays, that's as good as it gets." (Gregory Shaver)

The game looked on its way to being a high-scoring affair early, with scores on the first four possessions. Lake Zurich had a 13-play drive on its first possession capped off by a 31-yard Jack Rigby field goal. Willowbrook promptly answered with Tumilty's 24-yard TD pass to Everett Stubblefield for a 7-3 lead with 1:11 left in the first quarter. Three plays later, Lake Zurich's James Piggott made a spectacular one-handed grab over double coverage and raced in a 55-yard TD on the last play of the first quarter. Back came Willowbrook on its next possession. Tumilty's 5-yard TD run on a keeper gave Willowbrook a 14-10 lead with 9:03 left in the half. (Gregory Shaver)

With Lake Zurich (8-4) just rushing three in the early going, Tumilty took advantage with his legs. He ran for 91 of his 117 yards in the first half, weaving through the defense like he was on skates. "Early on I think we found some nice windows," said Tumilty, who also threw for 98 yards. "The run was open a little bit, I'm going to scramble." Lake Zurich's Jack Moses matched Tumilty for much of the first half, and was 13-for-20 at the half for 158 yards. On Lake Zurich's first drive of the second half, though, Moses was dropped for a loss by Willowbrook's Elijah Brockie, left the game with a dislocated shoulder and didn't return. (Gregory Shaver)

Two plays later, Tumilty intercepted Robertson inside the Willowbrook 10. Moses, who will be a preferred walk-on at Northwestern, also ran for 43 yards and converted several third downs while he was in. "That's a testament to our coaching staff," Moses said. "They put us in great spots, they worked hard today. Unfortunately it didn't go our way." (Gregory Shaver)

Lake Zurich's defense had allowed a combined 21 points the previous four weeks, and stiffened after Willowbrook's first two drives. But Willowbrook's own defense rose to the occasion. Sophomore linebacker Josh Brown had a huge sack of Robertson to turn away a Lake Zurich fourth-quarter drive. Neither team's offense scored for nearly the last three quarters. "There were times that they wore us down but our kids just hung and hung and hung," Hildreth said. "These kids, they don't quit. It's never pretty, and not perfect. But they just keep bouncing back every single time." (Gregory Shaver)

Willowbrook's Anthony Yannetti tries to catch a pass as he is hit by Lake Zurick's Tony Zanichelli, left, and Andrew Amoroso, right, during a IHSA Class 7A playoff football game Saturday afternoon, Nov. 16, 2019, at Lake Zurich High School in Lake Zurich. (Gregory Shaver)

Lake Zurich's Jake Robertson is sacked by Willowbrook's Josh Brown during a IHSA Class 7A playoff football game against Willowbrook Saturday afternoon, Nov. 16, 2019, at Lake Zurich High School in Lake Zurich. (Gregory Shaver)