Fast times at Joliet West High

Plainfield South’s Dondre Adams (left) takes the lead on Plainfield North’s Jacob Arnold in the championship of the quarterback/running back category. Adams ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash.
(Scott Powers/For the Sun-Times News Group)

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Beating Plainfield South was already a priority for senior Jacob Arnold before he competed in Friday’s 12th Annual Football's Fastest Man contest at Joliet West.

But when Arnold, Plainfield North’s star running back, witnessed his “Fastest Man” title taken from him by Plainfield South sophomore Dondre Adams, he found another reason to want to run all over the Tigers this season.

“No excuses,” said Arnold, who won last year’s competition. “He got me off the start. I love the competition. … I’m going to be ready to go against Plainfield South. They’re our archrivals.”

Adams didn’t back down to Arnold’s words afterward and he didn’t back down to his speed beforehand. In a one-on-one 40-yard dash in the championship of the quarterback/running back category, Adams beat Arnold at the finish line, finishing with a time of 4.34 seconds compared to Arnold’s 4.44.

“I bet you most people thought Jake was going to win today,” Adams said. “Everyone was going up against him intimidated. I wasn’t intimidated. I wanted to beat him. If you show fear, you’ve lost already.”

As for what Arnold will do to his Plainfield South squad this season?

“We’ll see about that,” said Adams, who expects to play varsity this season. “Everybody’s sleeping on us.”

Adams later defeated Lincoln-Way Central’s Jeremy Kaplan for the Fastest Man title. It was the second consecutive year Kaplan finished second overall.

In the individual categories, Kaplan won the wide receiver/defensive back competition. Romeoville’s Kentaro Pierce took the offensive line/defensive line title. Lincoln-Way Central’s Terence Townsend won the fullback/tight end/linebacker championship. Lincoln-Way Central won the team title.

Bolingbrook junior Jamil Martin, who took third in the quarterback/running back competition, was another player who stood out throughout the event. Arnold just beat Martin out in the semifinals.

“It was a good, friendly competition,” Martin said. “I didn’t know anything about (Arnold). I didn’t anything about this race before today.”

Recruiting analyst Tim O’Halloran of EdgyTim.com was impressed not only by some of the runs, but also by the players’ dedication.

“It’s a Friday night on Aug. 1,” O’Halloran said. “What else could they be doing? They could be at home on the couch playing their Xbox 360. It shows me a lot about these players.”