No, Joliet Central is not heading to the playoffs this year. It’s also highly unlikely that Joliet West is advancing to the postseason, and both those things were known before Friday night’s game kicked off.

The game was essentially over at halftime as Joliet West dominated the Steelmen 60-12. Joliet West finished the year just 4-5, while Joliet Central went 1-8.

But for the first time since the early 90s, Joliet Central and Joliet West faced off against each other on a Friday night. After 14 years of playing during the day on Saturday and 18 years of competing as a co-op, having the long-time rivals compete under the Friday night lights was a newsworthy event.

“It’s just good for our community,” Joliet West coach Dan Tito said. “Our community deserves this. Both sides of the river deserve to have this for the players and our fans. It feels great to be able to play this game.”

As for the competition itself, Joliet West extended its win streak over the Steelmen to six games. Joliet Central hasn’t beaten the Tigers since 2018 (the two teams did not play in 2020). The Tigers scored on all five of their first-half possessions en route to a 33-0 lead.

But in typical rivalry fashion, Joliet Central refused to quit. It scored on back-to-back possessions to open the second half and cut it to a three-score lead. Joliet West answered back with three consecutive scores; however, to trigger a running clock.

“They embrace what we’ve been trying to teach,” Joliet Central coach Tom Hart said. “The fact that they’re learning these lessons (about resiliency) now when they’re young gives me a lot of hope for next year and the year after that when a lot of them become seniors.”

Running back Greg Lee got things started four minutes in with a six-yard scoring run. Five minutes after that, reserve quarterback Sean Hogan hit Zachary Nichtula for an 11-yard scoring strike to stretch things to 13-0.

Lee scored again early in the second quarter, this time from five yards out. Hogan hit Jordan Bennett for a 33-yard TD pass and punched it in from one yard out himself just before half to give the Tigers a five-touchdown lead.

Hogan finished the game 9-of-17 for 90 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 39 yards and a score. Lee was the leading rusher with 83 yards and two scores on just 12 carries.

Again, credit Joliet Central for refusing to surrender. After the Steelmen put up just 17 yards in the opening half as an offense, Tristen Sellers ripped off a 33-yard run to open the second. Sellers later ran it in from three yards out to give the Steelmen points, their first since late September after being shut out the previous three months.

They weren’t done yet, either. The Steelmen attempted and recovered an onside kick, and Sellers needed only one play to make one of the best TD runs anyone will see this season. Half the Tiger defense made contact with Sellers at some point on the run, but that didn’t prevent him from rolling 42 yards into the end zone.

Sellers finished the game with 100 yards rushing.

The Tigers recovered the ensuing onside kick and wound up putting it in the end zone courtesy of a 29-yard hookup between Hogan and Tyler Bishop. They followed Central’s lead and attempted an onside kick right after, which they recovered, and later scored on a 32-yard connection from Hogan to Regis Williamson.

Williamson scored on a 17-yard run on the next play to trigger a running clock, and James Koulis scored a late 14-yard TD run to give the game its final score.

Both teams were heavy on underclassmen and will look to have more successful seasons next year. As for the departing seniors, Lee probably spoke for them all with his parting words.

“Keep working hard,” he said. “Always keep God first and do your job. Never give up on your dreams, never give up on your aspirations and always work hard.”