Record Newspapers football notes: ‘A big game for our future’ Yorkville holds on for Homecoming win huge for its playoff hopes

Dan McGuire could ponder plenty of emotions as West Aurora lined up to attempt a potential game-winning field goal last Friday at Yorkville.

He could rewind to all the hard work his kids put in during the offseason. He could look ahead to the significance that this game carried.

Or, the Foxes’ coach could look into the stands, the fullest Yorkville bleachers had seemingly been in a long time for Homecoming Friday.

“It’s just crazy how everything that everybody does for preparation, all the way back to the summer, it comes down to this one kick,” McGuire said. “You talk about Friday night, it was a big game for our future. You think about how hard your kids have worked, all those emotions – and then obviously it’s Homecoming and you want your kids to win.”

The Foxes did indeed hold on for a huge 14-13 win when West Aurora’s 44-yard field goal was short and wide.

Yorkville (4-2, 1-1), bouncing back from a 31-3 loss to Plainfield North in Week 5, earned what was perhaps a must-win to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Foxes need one more win from their remaining schedule – Oswego East, Minooka and Oswego – to become playoff eligible, but four wins might be enough. Shaw Media’s Steve Soucie has Yorkville as the last team in the Class 7A field in his latest projections.

Playoffs or no, the emotion of the moment was evident as Yorkville players spilled over to the student section in a wild postgame celebration.

“That was a big game for us,” Yorkville junior defensive lineman Jake Davies said. “It was Homecoming week and everything, and everything that week builds up to that game. It was a big game and really exciting.”

Yorkville built a 14-0 halftime lead on touchdown runs by Deajeion Lewis and Kendall Smith and then held on. West Aurora ran more plays (55-48) than Yorkville, outgained the Foxes (306-253) and had possession for eight minutes longer, but Davies and the Foxes’ defense never broke.

The Foxes’ run offense also showed significant improvement from the Plainfield loss, with 144 rushing yards led by Lewis’ 63.

“I think we can play a little bit better defensively, but the good thing is we bent but didn’t break,” McGuire said. “Several times West Aurora was in the red zone but our defense stepped up to the challenge and kept them out of the red zone.”

Davies, part of a talented defensive line that is perhaps Yorkville’s strongest unit, had two solo tackles, eight assists and was in on two sacks. Defensive back Blake Kersting had six solo tackles and five assists and sophomore linebacker Ben Alvarez four solos and four assists.

“We just stepped up and made the plays when we needed to,” Davies said.

“It was good to see our kids stick together, come out together and have a successful Homecoming game,” McGuire said. “It was fun to see the kids bounce back and beat a really good team.”

Austin powers Oswego win

Austin King admitted that he’s struggled this season kicking from the hash marks. Oswego’s senior kicker missed a field goal from the right hash mark Week 1 against Neuqua Valley, and missed from the left hash Week 2 against Batavia.

He was on the money in a huge situation last Friday.

King’s 32-yard field goal at the end of overtime – his first of the season, and second of his varsity career on a snap from Connor Deal and hold by Julian Toma – sent Oswego’s game with Plainfield North to a second overtime, where the Panthers eventually won 24-17 on Cameron Grays’ 9-yard TD run.

“After Plainfield North made their field goal I knew it would be up to me if we didn’t get that touchdown in overtime,” King said. “Warming up kicking I felt good. It got to fourth down, I took a few steps from the sideline, I looked at my holder and said ‘Are you good?’ and he said ‘yeah.’ Good hold, had to do my job. It was three working parts to one play.”

King, who also plays for Oswego’s soccer team, joined the football team in Week 3 of last season. A couple friends on the football team told King that Oswego needed a kicker, and he texted Oswego coach Brian Cooney about it.

King’s is a busy schedule. Mondays he goes to soccer practice from 3 to 4:15 p.m., and then football from 4:30-6. Days of home soccer games, King practices football kicking from 3-3:30 p.m. before games. Fridays he said he doesn’t go to soccer practice to “get in the zone” for football.

“Football kicking is not too complicated from the standpoint of leg strength; it’s more about being accurate with your kicks,” King said. “It’s a different kick from soccer to football. Luckily I’ve had help from the kicker before me Nico Goodwin.”

Not much could help King with the pressure of last Friday’s game, which he admitted was “not the most fun game for a kicker.”

“I stood on the sideline knowing that this game might depend on me to bring it,” he said. “I was like, I better get ready to kick, I did not want to be talked to on the sideline, just trying to get in the zone.”

Young Panthers’ defense growing up

The youth of Oswego’s defense was a storyline early on in the season. Of the front seven, only two players – Anthony Perez and Carson Cathey – had started or even seen time on varsity before this fall. That inexperience was evident early in the season against a difficult schedule.

But the Panthers’ defense appears to be growing up.

Sophomore defensive end Taiden Thomas, senior bookend Chris Cosmas and junior linebacker Braedon Hellinger all had their hand in last Friday’s win.

Hellinger, who was in on the stop on the last play of the game in double overtime, leads Oswego with 45 tackles, including 12 solos, while also getting snaps at running back.

“Braedon is turning into a pretty good linebacker for us,” Cooney said. “You can tell at times that he is just a junior and this is his first year at the varsity level, but he is a kid that learns quickly. As a sophomore he was an integral part of what that team did. He was running emergency quarterback, then turned around and played [middle] linebacker.”

Thomas, a long, 6-foot-3 nearly 200-pound end, had multiple sacks in the win over Plainfield North and on the season has 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 33 total tackles.

Cooney said the coaching staff offered to Thomas to start practicing with the varsity over the summer at tight end and defensive end. With Division I prospect Deakon Tonielli entrenched at tight end, though, defensive end seemed to be Thomas’ quickest path to the field.

“He is a kid that wherever the action is, that’s where we want Taiden. He is a good complement to the high motor guy [Cosmas] we have on the other side,” Cooney said. “He is a kid that the next two years will be something special.”

Cooney acknowledged that, like any sophomore on the varsity level, Thomas needs to fill out – but the commitment seems to be there.

“The good thing about Taiden is he enjoys the weight room and the things he needs to do to get better,” Cooney said. “His straight line speed and burst and power at the point of attack, he’s going to look back as a senior and laugh at what he was able to do as a sophomore. What he is doing now is pretty impressive. We’re able to drop him into coverage and use him in some blitz packages.”

Cosmas, meanwhile, was in on a forced fumble in the fourth quarter that Hellinger recovered.

“He rushed the passer, got in on his high horse, quarterback stepped up and Cosmas punched it loose,” That is a typical Chris Cosmas high motor play.”