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Hinsdale Central rolls by Proviso West

October 18, 2008
BY BILL STONE

The Hinsdale Central football team needed to win Saturday at Proviso West to set up a winner-take-all showdown with Glenbard West Friday, Oct. 24, in Hinsdale.

Although the Red Devils did their job with a 53-29 West Suburban Conference Silver Division victory in Hillside, it wasn’t easy.

The Red Devils (7-1, 5-0 in Silver) trailed 29-27 entering the fourth quarter but scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions to pull away. Glenbard West (8-0, 5-0) kept pace by beating Lyons Township 28-14 Saturday in Glen Ellyn.

Quarterback John Whitelaw’s 27-yard TD run with 8 minutes, 26 seconds left put Hinsdale Central ahead to stay at 33-29. The Red Devils also scored in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by sophomore Jake Knowles, a 4-yard keeper by Whitelaw and a 17-yard run by Eric Alexander with 48.8 seconds left. The go-ahead TD score came one play after a 21-yard pass from Whitelaw to Mick Culligan on third-and-13 in which Whitelaw scrambled to his right and received plenty of time for the play to develop.

Proviso West (2-6, 0-6) led 9-7 after one quarter and 15-14 at halftime. The Red Devils pulled ahead twice in the second half only to have the Panthers regain the lead.

The Red Devils went ahead 21-15 on a 6-yard run by Culligan and 27-22 on a 1-yard run by Knowles. The Panthers went ahead 29-27 three plays later on a 55-yard pass from quarterback Teddy Sloan to Stephen Lockhart.

Knowles’ TD was set up by Allan Cameron’s fumble recovery at the 35 caused by John Duffy just after Garrett Kawa, who kicked five extra points, was just wide on his third field-goal attempt of the game, a 30-yarder. On the next play, Whitelaw hit Alex Kirk on a 32-yard pass to the 3.

Whitelaw rushed for 172 yards on 18 carries and three TDs, the first a 3-yard run in the first quarter, and was 13-for-24 passing for 235 yards. Alexander (112 yards, 20 carries) and Knowles (53 yards, 14 carries) also were top rushers. Kirk caught six passes for 136 yards with a 14-yard TD reception in the second quarter.

The Red Devils’ Mike Owens, Sean O’Grady and Kawa added interceptions, all in the fourth quarter.

Proviso West had 417 passing yards with standout receiver Kyle Prater collecting 263 of them and two TDs.

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