The Willowbrook football team finished its regular season with it recent 37-20 West Suburban Gold Conference loss to District 88 rival Addison Trail in Villa Park. The visiting Blazers completed their regular season with an overall mark of 6-3 and a conference record of 4-2. Willowbrook concluded its regular season at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
Downers Grove South won the West Suburban Gold Conference title with a perfect 6-0 conference record. Hinsdale South claimed second with its 5-1 conference mark. Addison Trail placed third, while Willowbrook finished fourth. All four teams will compete in the IHSA playoffs.
With their Thursday-night win over the Warriors in the Oct. 15 contest, the Blazers retained possession of the District 88 Bowl trophy for another year. The winner of the annual gridiron matchup between Willowbrook and Addison Trail maintains custody of the trophy. One year ago, the Blazers seized the trophy after beating the Warriors 35-0 in Addison. That victory marked the Addison Trail football program’s first win over Willowbrook since 2015.
The Blazers received the opening kickoff and drove 61 yards for a touchdown on their first offensive drive of last week’s battle in Villa Park, which took place in cool weather and occasional sprinkles. Addison Trail junior Michael Clementi broke a 42-yard touchdown run to give the Blazers an early 6-0 lead. Sophomore Brandon Zambuni made the extra-point kick to push the lead to 7-0 with 9:20 left in the first quarter.
Addison Trail’s defense delivered a fourth-down stop to end Willowbrook’s first offensive drive of the game. Willowbrook’s defense returned the favor on the ensuing series by producing a fourth-down stop of the Blazers’ offense at midfield. The Warriors’ offensive unit then moved the ball inside Addison Trail’s 20-yard line before failing to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-two run.
Addison Trail raised its lead to 10-0 when Zambuni made a 27-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the second quarter. Willowbrook senior Josiah Marlowe returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to the 50-yard line. On the next play, junior quarterback Niko Vourlos threw a pass to senior Dylan Borkowski, who grabbed the ball near the Blazers’ 25-yard line and rumbled to the 1-yard line. Junior Kamron Greenhow crossed the goal line on the next play on a 1-yard touchdown run. Senior Ben Swanson made the extra-point kick to cut Addison Trail’s lead to 10-7 with 55.6 seconds left in the first half. The Blazers maintained that 10-7 advantage at halftime.
Addison Trail erupted for two touchdowns in the first four minutes of the second half. Willowbrook received the kickoff to open the second half, but the Warriors fumbled the football on a running play. Clementi picked up the loose ball and ran 22 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. Zambuni’s extra-point kick moved the Blazers’ lead to 17-7 with 11:09 remaining in the third quarter.
A short time later, after a short punt by the Warriors, Addison Trail caught the punt on the run near Willowbrook’s 35-yard line and returned the ball to the 5-yard line. Junior Ayden Smith then found the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run. The extra-point kick from Zambuni boosted the Blazers’ lead to 24-7 with 8:30 left in the third quarter.
One play after Borkowski hauled in a 32-yard reception to move the ball to the Blazers’ 17-yard line, Addison Trail intercepted a Willowbrook pass at the 1-yard line to end the Warriors’ next drive.
Willowbrook’s comeback effort gained steam when Borkowski made a leaping catch and ran into the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter. Borkowski leaped and caught the pass from Vourlos near the 10-yard line and sprinted into the end zone on the scoring reception. Swanson added the extra-point kick to trim the Blazers’ lead to 24-14 with 1:14 left in the third quarter.
Addison Trail padded its lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Smith with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter. A penalty by the Blazers forced Zambuni to attempt a lengthy extra-point kick, which the Warriors blocked to keep Addison Trail’s lead at 30-14 with 8:49 left in the game.
On the first play of Willowbrook’s next offensive series, Vourlos fired a pass to a wide open Borkowski, who caught the ball near his team’s 45-yard line and ran to the Blazers’ 15-yard line for a 65-yard gain. One play later, Vourlos and Borkowski connected on a 7-yard touchdown pass. The Warriors tried a running play for a two-point conversion, but Addison Trail made a stop to maintain a 30-20 lead with 7:44 to play.
About one minute later, while playing defense for the Warriors, Borkowski suffered an apparent arm injury while diving in an attempt to make a tackle. After spending several minutes on the turf, he was carted off the field.
Shortly after play resumed, the Blazers picked up 22 yards on a pass connection on a fourth-and-eight play. Smith finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run. Zambuni made the extra-point kick to give Addison Trail a 37-20 lead with 2:33 remaining.
Clementi intercepted a Willowbrook pass with 1:40 remaining to end the Warriors’ final offensive drive of the night.
Willowbrook and Addison Trail will participate in the IHSA Class 6A playoffs this year. The Warriors will open the post-season with this week’s home game against Amundsen (3-6). The game will begin at 1 p.m. in Villa Park this Saturday, Oct. 24. The winner will travel to Hononegah (8-1), which has an opening-round bye.
The Blazers will begin the playoffs with this week’s home game against Rolling Meadows (2-7). The winner of that contest will advance to a post-season meeting at Wheaton North (6-3), which has a first-round bye.
