Lockport scores 5th win of season, 42-27 over Bolingbrook

BOLINGBROOK – Jordan Kemp transferred to Lockport this past summer hoping for an opportunity to run the football.

He’s made the most of it.

Kemp, a senior running back, scored three touchdowns against his old school as the Porters pulled away for a 42-27 victory over host Bolingbrook in a SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue Division battle on Friday.

With the win, Lockport (5-3, 1-2) almost assuredly clinched a playoff berth for the third straight season.

Bolingbrook sophomore quarterback Jonas Williams threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the fourth straight loss for the Raiders (3-5, 1-2).

“Coming in, I just treated it as another game,” Kemp said. “But yes, it means a lot. It’s my old team, and it’s great to come here and get a win.

“I have a lot of respect for those (Bolingbrook) guys, but I came to Lockport for an opportunity. This secures the postseason for us, and that feels great.”

It’s the fourth straight victory for Lockport over the Raiders and the last time they will meet in a SWSC Blue game. Bolingbrook is moving to the Southwest Prairie Conference next season.

The last two games between the teams were both decided by a point. This one looked like it could be too, tied 21-21 late in the third quarter. The Raiders attempted a 29-yard field goal with 1:44 left in the third, but the snap was poor, and the kick was blocked by the Lockport line.

After getting one first down, the Porters had to punt. Nate Blazewski boomed a 59-yard punt that was downed at the 5.

With the rain starting to fall, Williams had the ball slip out of his hands on the first snap from scrimmage. With the ball rolling around, Lockport junior defensive end Kevin Hippner had an assist from a teammate and was able to coral the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

“It was a bad snap, and I just took that opportunity and jumped on it,” Hippner said. “Actually it was on the ground and (junior linebacker) John Sherrod knocked it to me, so it was a team effort. I bobbled it a bit but got on it.

“It was my first ever defensive touchdown, and it felt great. We knew we had to come out and get the win for the playoffs, and we got it.”

The Lockport defense then forced a punt and senior quarterback Drew Gallagher (14 carries for 101 yards, 5-of-8 passing for 99 yards) scored on a 45-yard TD jaunt.

Maison Glover, a junior defensive back, then grabbed an interception. That set up Kemp’s final touchdown, this one a 33-yard run that made it 42-21 with 6:40 to play in the game. He finished with 14 carries for 98 yards.

“Jordan earned it,” Lockport coach George Czart said of Kemp. “He came here, and we didn’t promise him anything. He’s shown what he’s meant to us.”

Williams, who finished 25-of-44 for 384 yards, got Bolingbrook on the board first. He capped the opening drive of the game with a 30-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Adrian Jones. The Porters answered right back with a 14-play, 73-yard drive, with all of them running plays, and Kemp barrelled in from the two to tie it 7-7 on the first play of the second quarter.

Senior running back Aidan Preciado plowed in from 7 yards out to give Lockport the lead. The Raiders answered right back with Williams connecting with junior wide receiver Chico Thomas on a 54-yard TD pass with 1:49 left in the second quarter to tie the score at 14-14.

But Bolingbrook left too much time, and the Porters took advantage. Kemp scampered in from the 2 with just 2.6 seconds to play in the half. That made it 21-14.

Just over four minutes into the third quarter, Williams connected with senior Kyan Berry Johnson from 5 yards out to tie the game at 21-21. The same combo came through again in the final seconds of the game as Johnson, who had seven catches for 131 yards and two TDs, caught a 44-yard TD with just 11.5 seconds to play.