Lockport responds with win over Steelmen

Updated: March 22, 2011 4:08PM

After Lockport lost to Bolingbrook and Lincoln-Way East the last two weeks, Porters coach Bret Kooi and his staff were unhappy.

They opened the competition in practice, promising time to those who most wanted to play.

The strategy produced the desired results Saturday as the Porters spoiled the 9:30 a.m. homecoming game of SouthWest Suburban Blue foe Joliet Central 42-6 at Memorial Stadium.

"We've been unhappy about the last two weeks on both sides of the ball," Kooi said. "Offensively, both weeks, and defensively, I know Coach (Steve) Dulkowski (the defensive coordinator) was very disappointed last week."

A noteworthy absence from the lineup was senior tailback Dan Holman.

"We stressed this week with how it has gone that whoever works hardest is going to play," Kooi said. "That's not only running back, it's every position. We had different people out there at a lot of positions."

Junior Rich Galvan stepped up in Holman's absence. He played the first half, which ended with Lockport (3-2, 1-2) on top 35-0, and finished with 123 yards in nine carries.

Junior Dexter Taylor entered in the second half and went 64 yards for a touchdown on his first touch, and the running clock was switched on.

Lockport finished with 362 rushing yards, and junior quarterback Billy Reed hit 6 of 9 passes for 60 yards. Reed, who took a keeper 56 yards for a score on the Porters' first play from scrimmage, found senior receiver Garret Kooi for 17 yards on a fourth-and-11 play to set up a first half touchdown and later hit Kooi for 7- and 6-yard scores.

"The fourth-down pass was one of those situation plays that you want to make," Reed said.

"We have had chances the last couple games to make plays and haven't been doing it," Coach Kooi said. "We have dropped crucial balls, made bad cuts, we just weren't executing on either side of the ball. Those are things we wanted to work on."

Even in the eye-opening special.

"It was different playing Saturday morning, but we still had to keep up our intensity," Reed said. "We had to be enthusiastic. Practice seemed different this week after we lost the last two games. Everyone wanted to get back on track."

Joliet Central (0-5, 0-3) has been struggling to find consistency, and Lockport took advantage. "It was perfect for us in our situation - except for the 9:30 a.m. start," Kooi said. "To get any high school kid to compete with a 9:30 a.m. start is a challenge, but the kids did."

"Lockport lined up like we thought they would," Central coach Mike Maloney said. "But you can see they were a more disciplined football team than we were."

There were times when the Steelmen, playing their first home game, executed offensively. Sophomore fullback Malik Neal rushed for 116 yards in 17 carries, and sophomore quarterback Carlos Curry ran the option for 66 in 13 tries.

"The big thing is we shot ourselves in the foot offensively," Maloney said. "We had a third-and-three and fumbled the exchange. We had penalties. We have to be focused and disciplined. That's very important to us. We can't be third-and-four and have a penalty and it's third-and-nine.

"We're young, but I hate that excuse that those are young mistakes."

Xavier Fitch delivered a huge hit for Central on the opening kickoff of the second half. The homecoming crowd was excited. On the next play, Taylor broke free for his 64-yard TD run.

"Those are the fluctuations we are getting as a young team," Maloney said. "We do something positive, and then we have a letdown."

The hope is consistency eventually will happen. Next Saturday would be a perfect time to move in that direction because that's when the Steelmen visit Joliet West.

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