Plainfield South races past Oswego

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:26PM

A deflected pass here, an interception there, incompletion upon incompletion - it would be easy to see how the Oswego faithful were wondering if the Panthers made the right decision in going to the spread offense as Plainfield South ran away to a relatively easy 57-30 Southwest Prairie Conference victory Friday night.

And while Ryan West's third interception of the night late in the third quarter with the Panthers trailing 49-21 sent many of those faithful to their cars, the cold reality that set in on a crisp autumn night was not that this offensive change was a mistake, but rather that this Panthers team, as a whole, just isn't good enough to beat decent teams.

There was no real indication of how good the undefeated Cougars (7-0, 4-0) really are, as they just ran through the Panthers (3-4, 3-2) defense like it was a summer league 7-on-7 contest.

Oswego put up 30 points, which is usually enough to win high school games, but the Cougars just moved the ball at will whenever they had the ball.

Coming off a week in which they watched Plainfield North running back Kapri Bibbs rush for 520 yards and 7 scores, you would think there would be some kind of change defensively for the Panthers, but sometimes you can't scheme over a lack of talent.

Dave Keely is one of the best coaches I've seen – his new offense is proof enough – but the Panthers simply can't match the speed that their opponents are displaying on offense. But, more distressingly for Oswego, they're just getting beaten up physically, too.

Plainfield South runners Dondre Adams (219 yards, 2 TD), John Magee (106 yards, TD) and Sheldon Magee (107 yards, 2 TD) not only had huge holes to run through, but then powered over would-be tacklers all night long.

The Panthers are now in playoff mode with four losses, and they should win next week over hapless Plainfield Central, but the Week 9 matchup with powerful Minooka is of concern – this team may not make the playoffs.

Fans can look back to a Week 1 loss to Morris which West missed for disciplinary reasons as really the only game that the Panthers let get away, but for the most part this team has lost the games it should lose, and win the ones it should win.

After seven weeks, not much can be done defensively.

So, the spotlight really gets hot on West and the offense.

There is a reason Purdue and Illinois are hot on the big junior's trail - the kid made some Division I throws into tight windows down the field in completing 30 of 53 for 279 yards and 2 scores. But there is still a lot to learn.

Trailing 28-21 to start the second half, due to a turnover and an oddly timed onside kick by the Cougars, the Panthers needed to come out and score.

But on the Panthers' first possession, they could not convert on 2nd-and-5 and then 3rd-and-3 before trying a fake punt that did not result in a first down. Plainfield South then scored to go up 35-21 just two and a half minutes into the second half. You could feel the air come out of the Oswego sideline.

The next four Oswego possessions of the quarter ended like this: interception, punt, turnover on downs, interception.

As the Panthers were being held in check, the Cougars just kept running wild, scoring three times to blow open the game.

It's a lot to ask of a junior QB in a new offense to score every time he has the ball, but that's what is facing the Panthers at this point. They can take some comfort in this though – he is more than skilled enough to do so. He just needs experience.

He's gaining it, too. The Panthers went on a nearly seven minute, 76-yard, 14-play drive in the first quarter that lasted into the second to give Oswego a 14-7 lead. It was beautifully executed. The problem was, they couldn't keep it up.

Faced with these situations next year, I bet West pulls out one of the close losses to Waubonsie Valley or Plainfield North. He's just not there yet.

The Panthers aren't done yet – their season will come down to the finale against Minooka. But in order to win that game – or a playoff game for that matter – he'll need to make some extraordinary plays going forward.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.