Built Ford tough

Plainfield South coach Jake Brosman said himself the team was very young this season. That would help explain its 0-4 start.

The Cougars have seen vast improvement as of late, however. They’ve won three of their past four, including Friday’s 49-0 win over Joliet Central. Part of that turnaround can be attributed to the maturity of freshman quarterback Armani Ford.

Ford didn’t begin the year as the starter, but has stood out in four games. He’s 55-of-90 passing for 863 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, including three TDs and one pick against the Steelmen. He also added his first rushing TD of the year Friday.

“He’s a great kid,” Brosman said. “He takes our coaching very well, understands everything in the game and it’s special to have a kid like that around.”

Plainfield South will host Romeoville this week. At 3-5 they’ll have to win to even have a shot at the postseason. Whether or not they make it this year, though, the future appears to be bright with Ford around.

Still, he hopes to close out his first year with a win.

“We’ve got to have a good effort,” Ford said. “We’ve got to have positivity, respect our coaches and play as a team.”

Like the old days

Joliet West and Joliet Central will face off this week to close out the regular season. That’s as far from unusual as one could get, as the two rivals play each other every year.

This year, however, there will be one key difference. They’ll be playing under the Friday night lights.

From 1989 to 2009, West and Central played as a co-op all but three seasons. In those three seasons and since splitting again in 2010, the two teams have not played on Friday nights. Saturday mornings, early Friday afternoons, anything but Friday nights.

Until now, the district has allowed the game at Joliet West this week to be played with a 6 p.m. Friday start time. The plan is for the game to be played Friday night at Joliet Central next year.

Central is 1-7, while Joliet West is 3-5, yes. Yes, Joliet Central hasn’t beaten West since 2018. But for the first time in more than three decades, the two team will meet under the Friday night sky. That alone is worth watching.

“I think this is a huge opportunity for us all to go back to Friday nights instead of Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon,” Steelmen coach Tom Hart said. “There’s a competitive atmosphere there for sure. It’ll be nice to get back to Friday nights for all of Joliet.”

By the numbers

A look into the Joliet West backfield Friday night provided an out-of-the-ordinary sight. The Tigers’ quarterback, Liam Nichtula, wears jersey number 83, normally reserved for receivers. But, with starting quarterback Landon Mars sidelined with an injury, sophomore Nichtula was behind center. He completed 5-of-9 passes for 42 yards.

Another number not normally found in a backfield is 58, but the Tigers lined up 6-4, 240-pound sophomore Savon Jamison, normally a defensive lineman, as a fullback. He was given the ball four times, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown and delivering a 27-yard burst down the sideline before finishing with 45 yards.

“Savon is an incredible athlete,” West coach Dan Tito said. “He does a good job when we give him the ball, and he has become a starter on the defensive line. At his size, and the fact he’s only a sophomore, he’s going to be fun to watch the next couple of years.”

The Williams Watch

Earlier in the season, this space was used to follow Lincoln-Way East quarterback Jonas Williams’ progress toward the all-time IHSA passing touchdown and yardage records. He has become the all-time TD leader, but did not increase any of his numbers Friday in a 14-6 loss to Naperville North because he did not play in the game.

Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said Williams was out Friday due to an ankle injury and that his status going forward is “day to day.” The Griffins end the regular season Thursday at home against Sandburg.

Week 8 scores

Richards 54, Lemont 27

Naperville North 14, Lincoln-Way East 6

Lockport 34, Metea Valley 21

Yorkville 21, Plainfield North 13

Plainfield South 49, Joliet Central 0

Seneca 39, St. Joseph Ogden 36

Morris 50, Sycamore 10

Dwight 28, Warrensburg-Latham 13

Wilmington 54, Reed-Custer 6

Plainfield East 30, Romeoville 13

Joliet Catholic 49, De La Salle 0

Providence 38, Marian Catholic 13

Bradley-Bourbonnais 35, Lincoln-Way West 13

Coal City 56, Herscher 7

Manteno 25, Peotone 20

Bolingbrook 39, Minooka 20

Joliet West 31, Plainfield Central 7

Lincoln-Way Central 37, Waubonsie Valley 7