Downers Grove 10-3-18

OC TO B E R 3 , 2 0 1 8 V O L . 1 0 I S S U E 41

Guide to a Healthy Life #buglenewspapers

FORUM

Celebrating IL Lincoln turns tide in debates against Douglas in Galesburg

SEE PAGE 4

SPORTS

Still Perfect Lisle rallies back to defeat Reed Custer SEE PAGE 5

BUSINESS Dave Says Check cashing company not payday lender bad, but still not smart SEE PAGE 7

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SPECIAL SECTION

SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

COMMUNITY

Home Depot, Benedictine University and Village of Lisle come together to honor veterans

BY RYAN OSTRY Bugle Staff @RyanOstry_BR18 rostry@buglenewspapers.com

Veterans should never go unnoticed in our society, and last Tuesday on the Benedictine University campus, they definitely were not forgotten.

At Lake St. Benedict, which is located on the south side of the campus, several volunteers helped build a floating dock and veteran tribute area.

“The VFW did an excellent job of planning and coordinating this whole effort between [Benedictine University] and Home Depot with all the volunteers and everything else that has been involved,” said Chris Pecak, Mayor of Lisle. “It is great to see the sea of orange and their new army green uniforms - they did a spectacular job.”

Multiple different groups that were involved to help the project were volunteer employees from the Home Depot in Naperville, members of the Lisle Veterans of Foreign Wars (Ross Bishop Post #5696) and Benedictine University students.

“Everybody’s put everything they have into it,” Pecak said.

“They are proud of the work they have done.”

Pecak also acknowledged that he thought there was some more motivation to help volunteers, because there are veterans that attend the school.

“I believe there are about 40 students at [Benedictine University] that are veterans,” Pecak

PHOTOS BY BY RYAN OSTRY

Multiple different groups that were involved to help the project were volunteer employees from the Home Depot in Naperville, members of the Lisle Veterans of Foreign Wars (Ross Bishop Post #5696) and Benedictine University students. said. “Everyone’s been very excited to help out knowing how great of a cause this is.”

This collaboration and project came together after the Lisle VFW was successfully awarded a $20,000 grant by the Home Depot Foundation, which then propelled the renovation for the veterans.

Other amenities that were installed Tuesday morning included implanting the lake with raised gardens, shrubbery and other plant life, building benches and creating a flag pole area to host the United States, State of Illinois and Benedictine flags.

With close to 100 volunteers attending, retired Home Depot employee and veteran Don Smith said that this project has been a goal for him for some time.

“This is the first public institution I’ve done; this is my way of giving back, and I’m a lucky guy,” Smith said. “It’s been on my radar for over three years, we started this last September when we met the village and President of the university and here we are today.”

Board of Trustees member Cathy Cawiezel said that she was amazed with the collaborative

team spirit, and the amount of work the volunteers achieved in a short period of time.

“It’s an incredible example of what people can accomplish when they come together and the spirit of volunteerism,” Cawiezel said. “I think every volunteer walks away knowing they got more out of it than what they put

it because that sense of community and collaborative effort is so nourishing.”

Cawiezel also added that with more veterans helping out and that being the main reason why people were giving their time and effort, resonated more with her and others because of the many freedoms we possess from the

sacrifices they have made.

“I share this with almost everyone that I have close relatives who are veterans, friends who have lost loved ones and everyone’s lives have been touched by veterans,” Cawiezel said. “Everyone understands at their core that our day-to-day freedoms are because of them.”

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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SCHOOL NEWS >> DOWNERS GROVE

Elementary school teachers get new contract Increases to planning that include time for teachers to collaborate around student learning

BY RYAN OSTRY Bugle Staff @RyanOstry_BR18 rostry@buglenewspapers.com

The old collective bargaining agreement between Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Board of Education and the Downers Grove Elementary Teachers Union ended Aug. 21, 2018, the two sides came to a new four-year deal at its regular meeting that took place on Monday, Sept. 17 following several months of discussions.

“The board is really excited about this because it gives teachers the fair raises that they deserve,” said Doug Purcell, Board President. “It allows us to maintain a high level of health benefits, recruit competitively and all this with hopefully staying within CPI the next fouryears.”

When deciding the ultimate fate of the deal, the Board of Education approved the contract 7-0 following a

Sept. 10, teacher’s union that approved the deal.

Parts of the new deal include increases in the base salary for teachers by seven percent over four-years, and additional raises realized by some teachers based upon their advancement on the salary schedule which average 3.9 percent annually.

Purcell also said this deal involves all of the Downers Grove Elementary schools including O’Neill Middle School and Herrick Middle School.

“Its been expected for awhile that we would get this deal done, I don’t believe at any time either side thought it wouldn’t be worked out,” Purcell said. “The board is very happy to have this deal done, and I believe the union is very happy about it as well.”

Another figure who had high praise for the finalization of the deal was Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli.

“The negotiation teams from both sides worked creatively and collaboratively to jointly develop a contract that values our fantastic teachers and their significant contributions to District 58’s pursuit of excellence, while

also remaining fiscally responsible within our budget constraints,” Cremascoli said. “Throughout the process, the negotiations teams worked hard to produce a fair contract that will continue to retain and attract high-quality teachers to serve District 58 students. I am very pleased with the final product!”

Increases to planning that include time for teachers to collaborate around student learning and implementation of new District curriculum, increased teacher leave time to attend conferences and other forms of leave time and a shift in health insurance where greater premiums will be paid are all also included with the newly structured plan.

The total District 58 budget increase of the teachers contract over the four-years is estimated at 10.1 percent or on average 2.5 percent per year.

These findings account for both salary and benefit costs for the bargaining group.

The contract between District 58 and the DGEEA includes more than 380 certified staff members, including teachers and other educational specialists.

SCHOOL NEWS >> DISTRICT 58

The Reading Games registration open DG58 reading games. jpgThe sixth annual Reading Games registration will open Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 at 10 a.m and close Sunday, Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. The Reading Games is a free and fun district-wide reading competition for District 58 students in grades 3-8. It will take place Saturday, March 16, 2019 at O’Neill Middle School.

The program aims to introduce new genres of books to students and to encourage students to enjoy reading. Students form teams of 5-8 chil-

dren and collaborate to read 12 books from one of two book lists. List 1 is geared for readers in third – fifth grade. List 2 is geared for readers in fifth – eighth grade. Reading Games teams may select either list to read, regardless of their grade level. In addition, the teams can comprise students from different District 58 schools or grade levels.

Books are available at District 58 school libraries and at the Downers Grove Public Library. During the event,

the teams compete to answer questions about the books.

Like last year, The Reading Games hopes to accommodate every team that wants to participate. Given the space constraints, List One teams will compete in the morning, and List Two will compete in the afternoon. Parents and team leaders are asked to follow strict deadlines so that organizers can accommodate teams. Thank you for your flexibility and patience.

Each team will need an adult team leader to register the team for the event, act as a point person for all communications and help their team prepare for The Games competition day.

Grove Dental will be offering free basic dental care to military and their families Grove Dental will be offering FREE basic dental care to our nation’s heroes and their immediate family members on Sunday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in their Bolingbrook dental office. Members of their general, pediatric, and endodontic team will be on staff to provide basic dental care to military families.

In addition, Grove Dental has partnered with the Bolingbrook Lions Club to offer on-the-spot vision and hearing screenings.

Grove Dental will also be hosting a military coat drive. New and gently used coats collected from Grove staff and patients will be available on Nov 4th for military families to take home.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) only provides dental benefits to veterans who are classified as 100 percent disabled, have been a prisoner of war, or have a service-connected dental condition or disability. Thus,

Westmont Fire Department 95th Anniversary Open House Oct. 1 The Westmont Fire Department is celebrating it’s 95th anniversary by hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 13, 2018 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Johanik Fire Dept. Headquarters, 6015 S. Cass Ave. The department has several fun and educational activities planned for the public.

Activities include children’s slide pole, obstacle course, equipment demonstrations, EMA displays, the Fire Dept. Bounce House and more.

Woodridge’s Celebration of Diversity October 7 Mayor Cunningham and the Village Board invite you to attend a Celebration of Woodridge Diversity.

This community-wide ecumenical

millions of veterans who do not meet this criterion do not receive the dental care they need. Lack of dental insurance and cost prevent many vets from getting additional coverage, putting their overall health, well-being, and confidence at risk.

Grove Dental is proud to be able to give back to the community in which they serve.

“Hosting a free dental clinic is an opportunity for us to say thanks to our nation’s heroes,” said Mina H. Chung, DDS, MS, FAAPD, a pediatric dentist at Grove Dental and the Veterans Day dental clinic coordinator. “We’re very grateful for the freedoms given to us because of the service that veteran men and women provide for our country.”

Additionally, Grove Dental will be hosting a coat drive during the entire month of October. Members of the community can drop off a new or gently used winter coat (all ages and sizes) at any of Grove Dental’s four locations including Bolingbrook, Downers Grove, Lombard, and Wheaton.

“It is our hope to be able to provide warm coats for all military families that stop by our dental clinic on November 4,” said Chung.

Sparky the Fire Dog and Freddie the Fire Truck will be there too.

The open house will also feature a scrapbook showcasing historical photos and news clipping dating back to the early 20th century. The Fire Dept. would also like you to consider bringing canned goods to be donated to the People’s Resource Center in Westmont.

“We are very excited for our upcoming 95th Anniversary celebration,” said Fire Chief Dave Weiss. “We look forward to sharing the colorful history of the Westmont Fire Department with the entire community.”

For more information, contact the Westmont Fire Department at 630-981-6400.

event will take place Sunday, October 7, starting at 3:00 p.m. in the grass area in front of 8258 Janes Ave. The first hour will allow participants to hear from a variety of Woodridge’s faith leaders, followed by fellowship with your neighbors. Light refreshments will be served, casual attire.

FORUM

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Lincoln turns tide in debates against Douglas in Galesburg

BY OWEN W. MUELDER FOR THE REGISTER-MAIL OF GALESBURG The Lincoln-Douglas Debates are among the most important events in the United State’s history.

The seven debates were conducted throughout Illinois in the summer and fall of 1858. Not only significant in their own time, the debates have since been recognized as an ultimate example of our political process which has continued throughout the centuries as most office seekers nationwide debate each other every campaign season.

Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln were respectively the Democratic and Republican party candidates for the U.S. Senate. The primary question these men discussed was whether slavery should be extended into the nation’s territories.

Lincoln was not an abolitionist, but he loathed slavery and looked forward to a time when it would disappear. He also maintained that it should be forbidden from being established in new states that desired to join the Union. Douglas defended the concept of “Popular Sovereignty,” whereby the people who resided in western territories should have the right to decide if slavery would be allowed.

The slavery question was so important then that no other political issue was raised by either candidate during the debates.

Public oratory was popular in the 19th century; both candidates often used harsh language and outspoken mud-slinging to characterize each other. People attending these contests also shouted out derogatory comments and catcalls toward both men. Spectators came from every part of Illinois to hear the speakers and newspapers throughout the country published detailed accounts.

The first debate, in Ottawa, was held on a blisteringly hot day in the third week of August. Most historians agree Douglas put Lincoln on the de-

fensive; consequently, the “Little Giant” appeared to be the winner.

However, at the second contest in Freeport, Douglas was put on the defensive. Lincoln asked Douglas how he could reconcile his “Popular Sovereignty” stance with the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision, which ruled that slaveholders had the right to introduce slavery into the territories. If Douglas responded that he supported the Dred Scott decision he would please Southerners, but if he stood by his “Popular Sovereignty” position, most Southerners would never forgive him.

His reply that day has since been dubbed the “Freeport Doctrine.”

Douglas responded to Lincoln’s query by saying the people who settled a territory would determine whether or not slavery could exist there. Put back on his heels, he hoped his answer would satisfy all parties, but it failed.

The third debate, in mid-September in downstate Jonesboro, was poorly attended. In southern Illinois, slavery was popular with many citizens. Lincoln finally came out more forcefully in Jonesboro, but he faced a hostile crowd and was characterized by Douglas as a radical. This debate is considered by most scholars a somewhat inglorious affair. The fourth debate, in Charleston, was on neutral ground for both men and is remembered as a stalemate.

On a chilly day at Knox College’s Old Main in Galesburg, the fifth debate on Oct. 7 drew more spectators than any of the other six contests.

Lincoln scholars are nearly unanimous in describing this debate as the one where Lincoln found his legs, displaying a confidence he had not shown before.

Lincoln knew Galesburg was an abolitionist town, known for harboring fugitives on the Underground Railroad. Standing erect and selfassured on a stage above the crowd, Lincoln spoke for the first time at length about the immorality of slavery.

“I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country that contemplates slavery as a moral, social and political evil,” he said. Paraphrasing Henry Clay, he accused Douglas of “blowing out the moral lights around us.”

Lincoln biographer Benjamin Thomas described the Galesburg contest as the turning point for Lincoln. One Boston newspaper reporter described Lincoln as “eloquent and bold.” Lincoln was so successful emphasizing this moral theme in Galesburg that he repeated it at the sixth debate in Quincy.

Douglas, often a heavy drinker, was described as “tight”and spoke slowly, hammering home his contention that decisions about slavery should be left to local and state governments. In the final debate, at Alton, which was a rehashing of the previous points, Douglas, his voice fraying, seemed worn down. An energetic Lincoln said the Declaration of Independence applied to all men, not just some, and the slavery question was between right and wrong.

In November, the state Legislature re-elected Douglas by 54 to 46, but the debates catapulted Lincoln’s name and reputation across the nation; the Republican Party nominated him for the presidency two years later. His election victory proved to be a significant watershed in American history.

Owen W. Muelder of Galesburg is director of the Knox College Underground Freedom Railroad Center. Editor’s note: The weekly Illinois Bicentennial series is brought to you by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors and Illinois Press Association. More than 20 newspapers are creating stories about the state’s history, places and key moments in advance of the Bicentennial on Dec. 3, 2018. Stories published up to this date can be found at 200illinois.com.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

>> INSIDE: NORTH, SOUTH PLAY TO 1-1 TIE IN CROSSTOWN BATTLE PAGE 6

FOOTBALL

STILL

PERFECT Lisle rallies back to defeat Reed Custer and lock up league championship

BY MATT LE CREN For the Bugle @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

Lisle quarterback Jay McGrath has made a lot of big plays during this historic season for the Lions.

But his most important move arguably came during the offseason, when he and some of his teammates persuaded senior Jakub Kowal to give football a try.

It paid off in a big way Friday night. McGrath fired three touchdown passes to the 6-foot, 5-inch Kowal to rally the Lions from a 14-point deficit and then kicked a 22-yard field goal in overtime to lift Lisle to a dramatic 24-21 victory over ReedCuster at Benedictine University.

With the win, Lisle captured the Interstate Eight Small championship and clinched a playoff berth. It is Lisle’s first conference title since 1981.

“I told the boys I’ve been coaching for some 40 years and there are two games that stand out in my mind,” Lisle coach Paul Parpet said. “This game tonight was probably my favorite game because of what we overcame. Not only did we overcome but what we did and how we did it.”

That is high praise considering

“I told the boys I’ve been coaching for some 40 years and there are two games that stand out in my mind ... This game tonight was probably my favorite game because of what we overcame. Not only did we overcome but what we did and how we did it.”

- LISLE COACH PAUL PARPET

Parpet coached Addison Trail in state championship games in 1983 and 1997.

Lisle (6-0, 4-0), which was missing several players due to injury, pulled off a dramatic comeback after trailing 14-0 and 21-7 as the Comets controlled the ball and the clock for the first three quarters.

Reed-Custer ran 86 offensive plays compared to 37 for Lisle, grinding out yardage with misdirection running plays and short screen and swing passes. The Comets took a 14-0 lead on a pair of short touchdown passes from Josh Loomis to Blake Foster.

BY MARK GREGORY

SEE LISLE | PAGE 6

Lisle and quarterback Jay McGrath defeat Reed Custer to remain undefeated on the season.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

DOWNERS GROVE >> SOCCER

North, South play to 1-1 tie in crosstown battle Mustangs had more scoring chances, outshooting the Trojans (6-6-4) by a 15-8 margin

BY MATT LE CREN For the Bugle @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

Downers Grove North sophomore Gavin Crowson isn’t your stereotypical goalkeeper.

Most keepers are tall and muscular, or some combination of the two. Crowson is generously listed at 5-foot-11 and 130 pounds, but he came up big repeatedly in Thursday’s annual clash with crosstown rival Downers Grove South.

Crowson stopped seven shots, including a penalty kick, in helping the host Trojans tie the Mustangs 1-1 at Carstens Field.

“He makes up for his size with his quickness and ability to move,” Downers North coach Mike Schmitt said. “I think he can really fly from post-to-post when he needs to and he makes some tremendous saves, especially tonight.

“He did everything he could except for score a goal today.

He saved a PK and then we were just unlucky in not getting it out of our end.”

Indeed, Downers South’s only

LISLE FROM PAGE 5 “They are a very good, underrated team,” Kowal said. “I think we have a really good defense.

They made our defense look silly at times, but still, holding ReedCuster to 21 points is pretty good.”

Indeed, the Comets (2-4, 0-3) were averaging 33.8 points per game and facing a Lisle defense that had several two-way players, including McGrath and Kowal, who played every down at defensive back despite having never played the position before.

In fact, Kowal had never played football until this season. The converted soccer player is having a blast at his new sport.

“He’s an aggressive kid so I said, Jakub, come on out here,’ and now he says it’s his favorite sport,”

goal came just six seconds after Crowson lunged to his left to block Alex Flores’ penalty shot.

“On the PK, Alex’s stance was not really open,” Crowson said.

“His run-up was pretty square to the ball, which is harder for him to open up his hip to place it to my left.

“So I had a really good feeling he was going to place it to my right, took two steps, saw it coming and attacked the ball.”

The ball caromed into the corner, where a defender tried to clear it up the right sideline. But Downers South junior Enrique Gonzalez intercepted the clearance and immediately fired a left-footed shot from 35 yards out and skipped inside the far post with 23:50 left in the second half for the game-tying goal.

“I was pretty screened by (defenders) Adam (Kukielski) and (Nick) Eshghy on the right and one of my wingers,” Crowson said. “My coach was saying it knuckled pretty hard.

“I saw it right when it appeared. I dove a little early. I should have taken two steps instead of one, but it was a good

shot. Props to the attacker.”

The goal was the fourth of the season for Gonzalez, who doesn’t hesitate to shoot from distance.

“Always put it on goal,” Gonzalez said. “After you get the ball like that inside (the attacking third) you have to take a shot and see what happens.”

What happened was Gonzalez scoring one of the most memorable goals of his career on his 17th birthday.

“After the ball came to me, I wanted the shot,” Gonzalez said. “It was my moment and I

got it. I was so happy I came to the bench and celebrated.”

Downers South coach Jon Stapleton said Gonzalez is one of the key offensive players for the Mustangs (4-6-2), who have struggled to score at times this season.

“Enrique comes to play every day,” Stapleton said. “He plays hard, he plays with passion and intensity and I think situationally he’s a very smart player, too.

“When that ball popped free, he knew that they were pushing up from a PK and they may not have been in good position and the keeper may have been just relaxed for just a second. He put something on frame and gave us a chance. Boy, it was a great strike.”

The Mustangs had more scoring chances, outshooting the Trojans (6-6-4) by a 15-8 margin, and easily could have had at least a two-goal lead at halftime.

But Gonzalez hit the left post with a 22-yard free kick and Jack Daly had a shot strike the crossbar. Crowson also made backto-back saves on point-blank shots from Ethan Kelly in the final minute of the half and the Trojans scored off the ensuing counterattack.

The Mustangs were whistled for a foul, giving the Trojans a

McGrath said. “He’s a senior and I couldn’t be more happy he’s out here.

“We really use him out here.”

Kowal was McGrath’s safety net as he tried to rally the Lions, who gave their homecoming fans a flicker of hope when McGrath tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kowal with 11 seconds left in the first half.

But Reed-Custer scored on the first play of the fourth quarter and drove to the Lisle 10 before the Lions’ defense stiffened. A 30-yard field goal try missed and then the fireworks started.

First, McGrath rolled out to the right sideline on a broken play before heaving the ball back into the middle of the field to Kowal, who caught the pass for a 59-yard touchdown reception with 4:35 re-

maining.

After the Comets went threeand-out, a short punt and a 20yard return by Dylan Laue gave the Lions the ball at the Comets 224.

Three plays later, McGrath found Kowal up the middle for a 23-yard touchdown. McGrath made the extra point to tie the game at 21.

“I don’t think any of our big plays were drawn up that way,” McGrath said. “Our second (score), I had my eyes to Dylan on the right side and then I got rushed, so I moved out and I realized that we needed a big play. I saw a little sliver of Jakub and I just let it go.”

After stopping the Comets on the first possession of overtime, the Lions rushed three times to get to the 1-yard line to set up a field goal try. A penalty moved the ball back five yards, but McGrath was

true on what turned out to be his first field goal of the season.

“I told the O-line that this is the biggest blocking play that we’ve had all night and they did a great job and all my kicks were all good today,” McGrath said. “I can’t give enough credit to our line. It’s probably the best protection I’ve had all year.”

McGrath calls Charlie Waldusky and Zach Zikuda two of the best tackles in the conference and linemates Aaron Harris, Andrew Weston and Connor Keebaugh also were solid when it counted most.

And then there was Kowal, who was briefly knocked out by a big hit but returned to make his final two TD catches.

“It was a hard it but you’ve got to finish the game,” Kowal said. “It’s a

“This is the fourth game we’ve lost the lead, so this is nothing new for us.

We need to get ready for playoffs because a game like this, when we’re up, we have to keep the lead because if we give it up (in the playoffs), it’s season over.”

- DOWNERS GROVE NORTH SOPHOMORE GAVIN CROWSON

45-yard free kick. Samuel Bull sent the ball into the South box, where Braeden Gagliano’s shot was rejected by South goalie Kenny Rosales. But Eshghy scored on the rebound with 11.7 seconds left for a 1-0 North lead.

“I thought our team played really, really well,” Stapleton said.

“Obviously, the goal late before halftime could have really derailed us and that was kind of the challenge to our kids.

“We’ve had some ups and downs and we’ve had some adversity and we talked about here’s a chance to respond and I thought our kids really did.”

The Trojans, on the other hand, have had trouble closing out games. The tie extended their winless streak to seven games, which includes three ties and two overtime losses.

“This is the fourth game we’ve lost the lead, so this is nothing new for us,” Crowson said. “We need to get ready for playoffs because a game like this, when we’re up, we have to keep the lead because if we give it up (in the playoffs), it’s season over.

“We need to practice these situations in training, build up a soccer IQ, be smarter on the ball, don’t take as many risks when we have the lead, stuff like that.”

long game but we were confident in ourselves.

“We had all the players and coaches backing us and we executed well. I can’t believe it. It’s crazy.”

For McGrath, it was a game he’ll never forget.

“Tonight was the most fun game I’ve played in,” said McGrath, who overcame two interceptions and had one of Lisle’s two picks. “We won our conference and we won a playoff berth, which makes it that much better.

“It’s going to feel good going back to the high school in 30-some years and seeing 2018 up there.”

So what makes the 2018 team so good?

“I honestly believe it’s our team chemistry,” Kowal said. “Everyone is close tight together, we work well together. We’re a great team.”

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

7

FOOTBALL

Gillespie to Kasprzycki, stuns JCA with 12.5 secs left 17-yard TD pass leads Benet past JCA 20-13

BY DRAKE SKLEBA For the Bugle @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

Benet Academy 13.

Joliet Catholic Academy 13 17 seconds remaining.

Benet ball.

First and 10.

Ball on JCA 17.

With 0:17 left in Friday night’s classic East Suburban Catholic Conference battle at Joliet Memorial Stadium, Benet senior quarterback Colin Gillespie went under center for the play of his Redwing career.

With 12.5 seconds left, Gillespie (12 of 18, 185 yards, 2 TD) found 6-foot, 6-inch, 225 pound Nico Kasprzycki (7 catches, 91 yards, 2TD) in the end zone to give the Redwings a 19-13 lead.

After Redwing placekicker Tony Benish’s extra-point boomed through the uprights, the Redwings led 20-13.

Benish’s ensuing kickoff was returned 25 yards by JCA’s Keenan Hailey to the Hilltopper 45 with five ticks left on the clock.

Redwing junior defensive back Tommy O’Malley then intercepted JCA’s quarterback Jordan Alvarez’s last-gasp pass to seal the 20-13 Redwing ESCC victory.

“I just wanted to take us down the field to win the game,” Gillespie said. “Our offensive line was outstanding, during our one-minute, game-winning drive. They were outstanding the whole game. Jack Norgle really stepped up big for us when I was injured for a few plays. We really wanted to win this game. It’s a lot better to be 4-2 than 3-3 at this point in the season.”

“We have practiced the game-winning play all week,” Kasprzycki said. “It felt great to make the game-winning catch and have this play that we execute in practice come through for us in a game. Always a great game when we play JCA. Big win for our goal of making the playoffs again.”

Friday’s pregame storm that swept through Joliet scared away a large portion of the expected huge homecoming crowd at Memorial Stadium, however, the

tiny contingent that came to Joliet from Lisle were rewarded for their support of the Redwings.

With 1:26, gone in the game, JCA’s Keenan Hailey streaked 63-yards for the first score of the game.

Hailey, who came into the game with an area-leading 891 yards would finish the night with 210 yards on 34 carries with the touchdown.

Senior placekicker Tony Trabold’s extra-point gave the Hilltoppers a 7-0 lead.

With 2:19 left in the first quarter the Redwings answered with a 68-yard scoring strike from Gillespie to senior wide receiver Luke Fraska. Benish’s PAT tied the contest at 7-7.

With 23 seconds in the first half, Trabold would drill a 23-yard field goal, to give the Hilltoppers a 10-7 lead at the break.

Benet senior linebacker Mike Wymer and defensive back Jack Cooney, made the defensive play of the game with 5:00 left in the third quarter.

Joliet Catholic (3-3, 2-2) had a 4th-and-1 at the Redwing 16yard line.

Wymer and Cooney, hammered Hailey at the line of scrimmage forcing the loss of down.

“Great feelings went through me, when I saw Nico make the game-winning catch,” Cooney said. “Great win. On the big fourth down play, I saw Hailey bounce wide and then cut back in. I was able to swipe his legs, out from under him.”

After Gillespie completed a 19-yard pass, to Cooney (three catches, 28 yards) at the Redwing 35, backup Jack Norgle replaced the injured Gillespie.

Norgle (4-for-6, 52 yards,TD, INT) completed the 84-yard Redwing scoring drive when he hooked up with Kaspzrycki, from 10-yards out for six, with 1:23 left the third quarter. Earlier in the drive, they hooked up on a 25yard completion.

Benish’s conversion hit the upright and the score remained Benet 13. Joliet Catholic.10.

With 8:20 left in the game, Trabold tied the game at 13 with a 35-yard field goal.

Benet’s leading rusher on the season, senior Ben Hickey, again led the Redwings with 37 yards on 11 carries. Hickey also hauled in a 25-yard pass reception from

Gillespie.

Hilltopper fullback Nick Iannantone, rumbled for 98 yards on 21 carries.

“We ran the ball well but just couldn’t score enough points,” Hailey said. “Give credit to Benet for making adjustments, after the first quarter. We are very confident that we can still make the playoffs.”

“We proclaim to be a powerrunning football team, yet we could not pick up crucial shortyardage situations, that eventually cost us the game,” Joliet Catholic Academy coach Jake Jaworski said. “We have to find a way to win two of our remaining

three games, to make the playoffs.

For Benet Academy (4-2, 2-2), the Redwings just need one more win to qualify, for another playoff run. The last two seasons, the Redwings have made it to the Class 7A semifinals.

“What a great high school football game,” Benet Academy coach Pat New said. “No greater feeling than when I saw Nico make the game-winning touchdown. I told our guys, in all of my years of coaching, I have never been more proud of a group of mine. We have had a cloud of misery hanging over us the last couple of weeks.”

“Our offensive line was outstanding, during our one-minute, game-winning drive.

They were outstanding the whole game. Jack Norgle really stepped up big for us when I was injured for a few plays. We really wanted to win this game.”

- BENET SENIOR QUARTERBACK COLIN GILLESPIE

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