LOCKPORT -- On the Bolingbrook High School football team, Chris Williams is the guy who does much of the dirty work but often goes unnoticed or gets overlooked.
Everybody talks about the quarterback who was plucked out of gym class two years and become a candidate for Player of the Year honors. Then, there is the tailback who runs like he is auditioning for a part on Sports Center. Or the defense that has turned into a takeaway machine.
When it comes to grabbing headlines, Williams can't compete with any of them.
He can make a case for himself as the Raiders' No. 1 mudslinger.
He scored two first-half touchdowns in Bolingbrook's 29-0 victory over Lockport in a driving rainstorm on Friday night. The game was delayed for 48 minutes because of lightning with the two sides locked in a scoreless deadlock late in the first quarter.
The Raiders (9-0, 5-0) sewed up their second straight Southwest Suburban Blue Conference championship and likely nailed down a No. 1 seed in the 8A playoffs that begin next weekend. The loss for Lockport (4-5, 1-3) was its fourth in fifth games and eliminated the Porters from contention for a postseason berth.
After fans returned to the stadium and the two teams took the field for the second time, the Porters were forced to punt on a fourth-and-2 from their own 27. Bolingbrook took over and marched 54 yards on six plays to take a 6-0 lead. Brad Geever threw a 24-yard TD pass to Williams to put the Raiders on the board.
"Basically, it was just a fake counter play that we've been running maybe like 10 times or so a game," Williams said. "What I do -- I block the safety on the run. But this was a pass. So, I faked my block and I ran a corner route. It was wide open. Brad (Geever) always gets me the ball."
A few minutes later, Williams fielded a punt on his own 24 and bolted down the left sideline. He picked up a wall of blocking and cut back right on a 76-yard touchdown scamper. The Raiders led 12-0 at half.
And their lead could have been bigger were it not for a penalty to wiped out another big punt return by Williams.
"I was so mad on the one that they said we clipped," he said. "But, the second time, I just hit it and ran. It felt good."
He had splotches of mud on his face as he walked off the field.
"I came out here, and it started hailing and I said, 'Oh, my god.' Then, we went back inside. We calmed down. Then, we came out and fired. We did our part in the rain."
Geever tacked on second-half scoring runs of 15 and 27 yards. He finished with 142 yards rushing on 12 carries. He also hit his first five passes and went on to go 6-of-10 passes for 68 yards. Nick Knutson kicked a 24-yard field goal. And the Raiders' defense came up with three second-half interceptions and forced four turnovers.
Brandon Westphal recovered a fumble. DeMarcus Calvin, David Boatright and Kwaku Amoabin intercepted passes.
Bolingbrook limited Lockport to seven first downs -- four of those coming on their final possession -- and 157 yards total offense.
"That's all we wanted to do was come in and get a win," Bolingbrook coach John Ivlow said. "We didn't care what the (heck) the score was or anything. The kids have done a good job all year handling the ball, and that's why we're at where we're at. Williams' punt return was his second one here. He did that last year, too. He's got another year.
"You'll hear of him next year a little more, probably, but he does a good job of what we ask him to do now."
Lockport's Ryan O'Donnell rushed for 57 yards on 16 carries -- but fell short of reaching an individual milestone, just as the Porters fell short of reaching their team goal. He entered with 885 yards rushing and was looking to eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier.
"We knew that we had to execute almost perfectly in order to have a chance," Lockport coach Bret Kooi said. "They're a very solid football team. But I think our kids played a pretty doggone good game.
"We knew from the beginning of the year there were going to be one or two games where it was going to come down to a couple of big plays in order for us to get in (the playoffs). I sure wish we could have had one more win for that senior group. But, unfortunately, we fell short.
"Sadly, we're not that far away. But even if you're not that far away, it doesn't let you continue to play."
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