Football: Explosive First Half Fuels Sandburg Rout of Joliet Central

Breaking It Down: set the tone early on in a 41-0 victory over Joliet Central with Lemonte Booker breaking a 38-yard touchdown run on the Eagles first possession Friday night. Booker scored again on a 3-yard run in the second quarter as the Eagles celebrated homecoming in high style.

Anthony Adams completed 4-of-6 passes for 89 yards and three touchdowns. He found both Nick Lehnerer and Trevor Dapkus from 33 yards out. Adams also connected with Joe Fischer for a 13-yard score.

Sandburg led 34-0 at the half, and Eagles coach Dave Wierzal rested his starters in the second half. The starting defense limited Joliet Central to just 1 net yard of offense in the first half. The backup defense was fooled a couple of times on some Steelmen trickery that would set up a good scoring chance for Joliet Central with time running out.

But the backups preserved the shutout, breaking up Steelmen quarterback Carlos Curry's pass to the end zone. Ron Johnson, the backup quarterback for the Eagles, broke a 56-yard run. And he eventually scored on a 9-yard burst to make it 41-0.

Patch MVP: Sandburg's Ron Johnson had six carries for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Sandburg Stat Pack: Anthony Adams completed 4-of-6 for 89 yards and three touchdowns. Lemonte Booker rushed for 57 yards on four carries and scored two touchdowns. Mike Rago gained 23 yards on six carries.

Joliet Central Stat Pack: Carlos Curry was limited to 6 yards rushing on nine carries. He completed 5-of-9 passes for 12 yards. Malik Neal rushed for 36 yards on 11 carries.

Quotable I: Sandburg coach Dave Wierzal on keeping focused: "It's a minor thing, but it's homecoming, and that is a huge distraction for the kids. There's a lot going on. We had the mentality of overcoming distraction. Most importantly, we want to be alive for the playoffs, and this game was a critical step for that."

Quotable II: Wierzal on winning five to be playoff eligible, but needing to hold the focus: "It qualifies us for the playoffs, but getting there could depend on more than just five wins. Our goals are beyond (making the playoffs)."

Team Records: Sandburg is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the Southwest Suburban Blue. Joliet Central is 0-6 and 0-4.

What's Next: Sandburg plays host to Bolingbrook on Friday, Oct. 7. Joliet Central plays host to Homewood-Flossmoor on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Notable Scores: Lincoln-Way East 20, Bolingbrook 14; Homewood-Flossmoor 35, Lockport 0. Stagg 16, Thornton 14. Brother Rice 38, Providence 31 (2OT). For more scores, visit IHSA ScoreZone.