By Jeff Davis

The Oak Park football team seems to bring out the best in Hinsdale Central junior quarterback John Whitelaw.

Whitelaw ran for four touchdowns and passed for another to lead host Hinsdale Central to a 56-28 victory over Oak Park Friday in a West Suburban Conference Silver Division game.

Whitelaw scored on runs of 25, 2, 30 and 39 yards and had a 52-yard gain that set up his 6-yard TD pass to Rich Zajeski as Hinsdale Central (4-1, 2-0 in Silver) raced to a 56-14 halftime lead to force a running clock for the entire second half.

Whitelaw finished with 151 yards on nine carries and completed 9 of 13 passes for 118 yards.

Last year, Whitelaw had his breakthrough game as a sophomore starter by running for 224 yards and three TDs and throwing for 134 yards and two more TDs in a 42-22 win over Oak Park.

“A couple of people said something about (having another big game against Oak Park), but it’s just how it happened,” said Whitelaw, who credited offensive linemen Evan MacAyeal, Jim Kallas, Jack Allen, Jack Curatolo and Collin Watkins and running backs Zajeski and Eric Alexander. “The line and running backs made key blocks and got me into the open and all I had to do was run basically.”

Hinsdale Central also scored on a 33-yard fumble return by Mike Rogowski after Pat Clegg stripped the ball and an 82-yard kickoff return by Mick Culligan.

Whitelaw scored his 25-yard TD on the Red Devils’ fourth play from scrimmage. The lead was extended to 14-0 after one quarter when Zajeski scored on his 1-yard run following his 54-yard punt return.

Whitelaw’s 2- and 30-yard TDs came after fourth-down conversions with the latter coming on a third-and-14 play for a 28-0 lead.

That set up a wild first-half finish, with six TDs in the final 4 minutes, 11 seconds.

Oak Park quarterback Elliott Davidson hit Dorion Grant with a 48-yard TD pass, then came Whitelaw’s 6-yard pass to Zajeski, Rogowski’s fumble return, Whitelaw’s 39-yard TD following Brian Connor’s interception, Davidson’s 9-yard TD pass to Darnell Lee and Culligan’s kickoff return.

Oak Park (1-4, 0-3) scored twice in the third quarter against the Red Devils’ reserves, with Davidson hitting Marty Finnegan with a 15-yard pass and backup quarterback Jack Rogalla connecting with Lee on a 28-yard pass.

Oak Park coach Jim Nudera missed the game to attend the wake of his nephew, a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

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