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THE BUGLE NOVEMBER 8, 2012
Sports
Bolingbrook falls in Class 8A playoffs By Mark Gregory Sports Reporter
Repeating a state title run is not an easy task, especially under the adversity the Bolingbrook Raiders have gone through this season with having to replace nearly an entire defense as well as battle through the injury of quarterback Aaron Bailey. The Raiders were able to put themselves in position to defeat No. 1 seed Neuqua Valley Friday night, but it wasn’t in the cards, as the Wildcats knocked off the defending champs 4433 behind 346 yards and five touchdowns from running back Joey Rhattigan. “He is a powerful runner,” said Emile Wisdom, the lone senior and one of only two defenders from last year’s team. “He keeps his feet moving. I tried to strip the ball and he holds it like no other, like it’s his baby out there.The last runner that powerful that I faced was (JCA senior and USC-recruit) Ty Isaac in little league. “It is hard to swallow right now, but it has to end sometimes. I enjoyed the season and I love the guys I played with. We call each
other our family.” Bolingbrook opened the scoring on a 10-yard TD pass from Bailey to Brandon Lewis, but the back-and-forth started six minutes later when Rhattigan scored his first TD, a 22-yard run. A Jaden Huff run in the second quarter extended the Raider lead, but Rhattigan’s 90-yard answer put the Wildcats on top 14-13. Neuqua struck first in the second half on a seven-yard Rhattigan run, but Bailey answered with a 14-yard keeper for a TD and a one-yard sneak to put Bolingbrook back on top 2722. A Wildcat score late in the quarter gave them a 28-27 advantage. The Raiders then mounted a with a 64-yardTD drive that ended with Bailey’s 20-yard scoring run to go ahead 33-28. However, Rhattigan was not done, as he did his best Mike Alstott impression and carried six defenders into the end zone for the go-ahead score. After a dropped pass on what could have been the Raiders’ chance to get the lead back, Bailey was intercepted, giving
the ball back to the Wildcats. Rhattigan took the ensuing snap 57 yards to end the scoring. Despite obvious acceleration problems early in the game, Bailey rushed for 210 yards on 31 carries and ran for three scores. He was 7-of-17 passing for 76 yards and one score. “This means God’s will is done,” Bailey said of the game. “We wanted to win state, but we didn’t and that is OK. We knew it would come down to the last second, you always see that in NFL games and it was great to get that experience. (Neuqua Valley) is a great team. God bless them. I hope they win state.” Bailey said while it was obvious he wasn’t 100 percent, but he also said he played with no fear of getting reinjured. “You could tell I wasn’t at my actual speed, but I just tried to build it up,” Bailey said. “If you worry about getting hurt, you will get hurt.” Bailey had been on varsity all four years with Bolingbrook, seeing time his freshman year as a wide receiver and quarterbacking the team the past three seasons. “I thank God for this,” he said. “This is a great high school and it was a great four years. I truly had a lot of fun. People say high school flies by and it really does. I am glad I got to play here.” One of Bailey’s main targets the past two years, Chandler Piekarski (5 catches, 67 yards against Neuqua Valley) also will remember the great run he had as a Raider. “The team did their best, it just wasn’t meant to be,” he said. “I was surrounded by a great group of guys. You always shoot for the repeat, but the teams get tougher and tougher. The task is hard to do. “What happened last year is something that can’t be taken away from us. Unfortunately, the chance to repeat wasn’t meant to be, we just have to keep our heads up. I wouldn’t want to be in any other place than right here catching passes from Aaron. He is going to go places and when I grow up, I am going to tell my kids I played with him. It is going to be really fun to watch where he goes.” Bailey’s first stop in the University of Illinois, who are having a winless conference season and some are calling
Mark Gregory/Bugle staff
Bolingbrook’s Aaron Bailey returned to the field, but it was not enough as the Raiders fell 44-33 to Neuqua Valley.
for the termination of first-year coach Tim Beckman. That is something Bailey doesn’t worry about. “I just put it in God’s hands,” Bailey said. “If you read (all the message boards and reports) it just gets your head all discombobulated.” For players like Piekarski and Wisdom, they will look for their college in the next few weeks and months.
“When I came here from Joliet West, I wanted to win the championship and go to college,” Wisdom said. “My first year here, I was able to win a ring and I am glad that I got to be coached by these coaches and realize that college is an option for me rather than just having to get a job after high school.They gave me a light. I want to play ball next year, DII, DIII, I don’t care.” mark@buglenewspapers.com