The Willowbrook flag football team’s 2026 season ended with Saturday’s (Oct. 10) 12-6 loss to Oswego East in a semifinal battle at the IHSA St. Charles North Sectional.
The Warriors ended their season with a record of 17-2.
Willowbrook and Oswego East both entered Saturday’s contest with identical 17-1 records. The Wolves of Oswego East faced St. Charles North earlier this week in the sectional final in St. Charles. The winner advanced to the IHSA state quarterfinals, which will be contested at Willowbrook this Friday, Oct. 16. The state semifinals, third-place game, and state-championship battle will take place at Willowbrook this Saturday, Oct. 17.
This is the third year of the IHSA state competition in flag football, and the third year it’s taking place at Willowbrook. The Warriors advanced to the state quarterfinals in 2024. Willowbrook won the third-place trophy in last year’s IHSA state tournament.
Three days before losing to Oswego East in Saturday’s sectional semifinal, Willowbrook rallied to defeat Lake Park 25-20 in the championship game of the Lake Park Regional in Roselle. The Warriors trailed the Lancers 13-0 early in the second half of the Oct. 7 regional final.
The Lancers took a 6-0 lead when they scored a touchdown with about one minute remaining in the first quarter. Lake Park added to its 6-0 halftime lead following its 76-yard touchdown pass on its opening possession of the third quarter. The Lancers added a conversion pass after the long touchdown score to take a 13-0 lead with about 11 minutes left in the third quarter.
Senior quarterback Kaitlyn Santos connected with senior Liz Pettinger on a 34-yard touchdown pass to help the Warriors cut Lake Park’s lead to 13-6 with under six minutes to play in the third quarter. Willowbrook failed to score on its conversion pass after the touchdown.
Pettinger hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Santos with 7:06 left in the regional final. The Warriors weren’t able to score on the subsequent conversion pass, leaving Lake Park’s lead at 13-12.
Moments later, Willowbrook sophomore Kennedy Rieger intercepted a Lake Park pass and raced about 20 yards into the end zone to propel her team to an 18-13 lead. Senior McKenzie Edison caught a pass from Santos on the one-point conversion attempt to raise the Warriors’ lead to 19-13 with 6:56 to play.
After Pettinger intercepted a Lake Park pass with 5:36 left on the clock, Willowbrook’s offense began a drive at the Lancers’ 40-yard line. That drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Santos with 1:53 to play. The Warriors weren’t able to score on the conversion attempt, and their lead stood at 25-13.
Lake Park struck back quickly, scoring on a long touchdown pass and adding the one-point conversion to trim the Warriors’ lead to 25-20 with 1:08 to play.
The Lancers’ offense remained on the field, as Lake Park had a chance to keep possession by gaining 20 yards on one play. The Warriors made a defensive stop and retained possession. Willowbrook ran about one minute off the clock before Lake Park had one last offensive play from its own 11-yard line. The Warriors made a stop on that play and proceeded to celebrate their come-from-behind victory. The celebration continued minutes later when the Warriors received the regional’s championship plaque.
“I’m really proud of the girls for sticking in it when it felt like maybe too high of a hill to climb,” said Willowbrook coach Rachel Karos after the Warriors’ regional win over Lake Park.
Willowbrook, which opened the 2026 post-season with a 31-8 victory over Naperville North in a regional semifinal at Lake Park on Oct. 5, played Saturday’s sectional semifinal in warm and sunny conditions at St. Charles North. After a scoreless first quarter, Oswego East scored two quick touchdowns to take a 12-0 lead. The Wolves scored their first touchdown on a pass play of about 30 yards. Moments later, Oswego East intercepted a Willowbrook pass and made a return of about 25 yards into the end zone to boost its lead to 12-0 with 6:55 to play in the second quarter.
The Warriors cut the Wolves’ lead in half late in the second quarter after Santos completed a short pass to senior Jada Langston, who then lateraled the ball to Edison, who eluded a couple of defenders and raced down the field for a 69-yard touchdown reception with 1:31 to play in the first half. The Warriors failed to convert a one-point attempt after Edison’s touchdown.
Senior quarterback Madeline Carine completed a long pass to Pettinger on a third-and-long play during the fourth quarter. Pettinger’s catch gave the Warriors a first down at Oswego East’s 16-yard line. On the next play, Carine passed the ball to Edison, who made the catch in the end zone for what appeared to be the game-tying touchdown, but the play was negated by a Willowbrook penalty. The Warriors’ offensive drive ended when the Wolves intercepted a Santos pass in the end zone on a third-and-goal play from the 8-yard line with about six minutes to play.
After an Oswego East punt, the Warriors began their last offensive drive of the game at their own 42-yard line with 1:48 on the clock. Willowbrook turned the ball over on downs at midfield with about one minute to play, and the Wolves proceeded to run out the clock.
“We didn’t have the best start to this game, but we didn’t quit,” said Karos after Saturday’s season-ending loss. “I’m super proud of our girls. We just needed to execute at the end.”
Karos praised the team’s seniors and their contributions to the Willowbrook program during her post-game comments after the sectional semifinal.
“They are some of the most decorated flag football athletes in the state,” said Karos of the Warriors’ seniors. “It’s been wonderful to coach these seniors.”
