Lockport gives new coach a winning start

Updated: August 27, 2011 1:04AM

Last season, a lack of big plays meant a .500 season for the Lockport football team.

This season, the Porters are on their way to correcting that already.

Dexter Taylor scored three touchdowns and Lockport’s defense and special teams also came up with big plays to make new coach Don McKillip’s debut a successful one with a 33-21 win over Downers Grove North in the nonconference season opener Friday night at Lockport.

“That’s exactly what the coaches stressed,” Lockport defensive back Shaun’Qae McMurtry said of his team’s big plays. “We need to make plays, follow our instincts and be an athlete.”

McMurtry did just that as he returned an interception 80 yards to put the Porters (1-0) on the board just 1:22 into the season. Downers Grove North came back to tie it at 7, but Lockport’s Jessie Kwak recovered a fumble to set up Taylor’s first touchdown run from 20 yards out at the end of the first quarter.

Klayton Soucy then blocked a punt. That set up Kyle Smart, who was substituting for injured quarterback Billy Reed, to score on a 2-yard TD run and extend the Porters’ lead to 20-7 at the half.

The Trojans (0-1) got back in the game on a 5-yard touchdown run by Brandon Salter in the third quarter. but Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to the Downers Grove North 32. On the next play he took it in from there to give Lockport a 26-14 lead with 1;28 left in the third.

“Right before that kickoff I told coach to put it on my shoulders,” Taylor said. “He did that and I rose to the occasion.”

Taylor, who likes to go by D.T., did that again with 54-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter to put the Porters ahead by 19. He finished with 12 carries for 142 yards.

Trojan quarterback Riley McGinnis fired his second touchdown pass of the game with 11.6 seconds to play to account for the final score. He finished 17-of-32 with an interception and 256 yards.

“It feels good,” McKillip said. “The kids came out and played hard. We made some mistakes, but then came together and made the plays.”

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