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Andrew rushes to conference title
After dropped three of its first four games, Andrew winning a conference championship didn’t appear very likely.
However, instead of allowing the slow start to define their season, the Thunderbolts made some adjustments.
And after defeating Thornton 17-10 on Friday night in Tinley Park, Andrew is, indeed, champion of the SouthWest Suburban Red Conference.
The Thunderbolts (6-3, 6-1), who enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak, will share the honor with Lincoln-Way West, which also finished 6-1 in conference.
“Things weren’t looking too good,” said Andrew coach Jim Malec of the 1-3 start. “We took a look at the kids and the coaching staff took a look at itself. We made some changes and we bonded together as a team.”
Just as they have during the resurgence, quarterback Tyler Hook and running back Jarvis Franklin led the way down victory lane against Thornton (6-3, 5-2).
Hook finished 8-of-17 for 188 yards and a touchdown. Franklin was a workhorse, carrying the ball 30 times for 138 yards and a score.
“Tyler and Jarvis, they’re our guys,” said Malec, who’s in his first year as head coach. “They came up big again tonight.”
After Thornton grabbed a 3-0 lead on a 32-yard field goal by Aaron Zambrano with 1:31 to go in the first quarter, Andrew responded with 17 unanswered points in the second.
Hook hit Nick Reyes with a pretty 13-yard TD pass in the right corner of the end zone for a 7-3 lead after the first of two Nick Elhers point-after kicks at the 9:16 mark.
The Thunderbolts scored again on their next possession. Franklin capped a nine-play, 64-yard drive with 5-yard TD to make it 14-3 at 2:53 of the second.
Elhers converted a 21-yard field goal as time expired at the half for the 17-3 advantage. The boot was set up by a 29-yard pass from Hook to Joe Sanfilippo (5 catches, 153 yards).
“Our offensive line did a nice job, especially in the second quarter,” Malec said.
Andrew’s defense, led by Fred Kassal, Zack Anderson and Nick Cuba, held Thornton to 86 yards of offense in the opening half.
Jamal Towns’ 15-yard run brought the Wildcats to within 17-10 after Zambrano’s kick with 10:08 left in the fourth. That’s as close as Thornton would get.
Towns finished with 104 yards on 24 totes. Quarterback Jowahn Brown was 16-of-26 for 124 yards for the Wildcats.
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