Tomcats rebound from adversity

East Aurora running back Richard Jimenez runs against Yorkville earlier this season.
(Donnell Collins/For the Beacon News)

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One week at a time.

It's a mantra that has resulted in a 2-2 record the last four weeks following a frustrating start to the season for East Aurora.

The group had high expectations going into the year, but lopsided losses to West Aurora and Yorkville shook the team. A sideline incident in Week 2 rattled it further.

It would have surprised no one if the Tomcats folded (2-4), but the group rallied together and is coming off its first homecoming victory in over a decade and has its first two-win season in seven years.

"After the little incident, the next day, coach (Bill Bryant) had us in a meeting and he came in there and everybody just talked," Tomcats running back Michael Turner said. "That's when everybody started really taking it serious that coach wasn't playing with us. Everybody just came together as a team at that point when he had that meeting."

What followed was an immediate victory in the rain and mud over South Elgin in Week 3.

"Kids are resilient no matter if they're an athlete or not, but athletes starve for the competition," Bryant said. "They're starving for that competition and they're going to go out there and get after it, and getting past the adversity we had earlier in the year by beating South Elgin in that weather game, it showed them that you know what, we can go out and win and win together as a team."

Two losses followed that win, but the team rebounded with a shutout of Thornwood on homecoming last week.

"We know what a win feels like now and we're just starting to play," Turner said. "It means a lot to everybody."

On the field, the offense has become a more consistent group since Week 2 behind a three-pronged running attack.

Richard Jimenez was moved under center, Turner became the speed threat while Leon Harden maintained his role as a punishing inside runner.

Turner is eighth in The Beacon News coverage area in rushing with 402 yards and four touchdowns. Jimenez has 140 yards rushing and four scores, while Harden has 183 yards.

"The first key to why we're being successful is our offensive line," Bryant said. "They communicate, they understand the concepts of the blocking schemes, they're constantly trying to get the right position on the defensive player to get that little crease to allow Richard and Mike and Leon to have those bursts of speed which they have."

The front five of Abraham Duran, Kris Sheldon, Juan Mejia, Jose Yanez, Alex Pequeno, as well as tight end Daimysei Jasper, have given the Tomcats a base to run a varied offense behind. The team will switch up from power running to the option to misdirection.

"We have some true threats in our backfield where they can't just key on one person like they have the last couple years," Bryant said.

The victories are just a part of the tangible proof of change at East. On the varsity, six players are getting looks to play in college. The sophomore team has won three straight. And, the student body is also beginning to take notice.

"People are excited about East Aurora and that's just a credit to everybody who works in the district on getting our kids to games and supporting our team," East athletic director Cam Leadbetter said. "That's what it's all about right now -- getting that 'EA' pride back and everybody has their hand in that."

The Tomcats head to Elgin on Friday in search of their third win in five games, and confidence is high -- Elgin is 0-6 and Week 8 opponent Lake Park has just one win. Yet at the same time, Turner said the Tomcats refuse to look at winning anything more than the one game in front of them.

"We're still not there yet. We're still in that rebuilding process, we're still looking every day at the positives," Bryant said. "But the thing about it is, 'moral victory' seasons are over with. Now we're looking for wins."