Thornton lights it up against Lincoln-Way West
By Tim O’Brien For Sun-Times Media September 29, 2012 12:24AM
The Thornton Varsity team gets set to play their first game under the lights since 1979 against Lincoln Way West at Thornton High School in Harvey, Illinois, Friday, Sep. 28, 2012. | Michael DiNovo~For the Sun-Times Media
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Updated: November 1, 2012 6:28AM
After 33 years of playing home games on Saturday afternoons, Thornton played its first home game under the lights since 1979.
A three-year varsity player, Thornton’s Jamal Towns wanted to make the most of the experience Friday.
“It means a lot to me to play under the lights,” Towns said. “It means a lot for the community and the alumni to come back. It’s been a long time, and we wanted to get the win.”
Gutting out a defensive effort, No. 10 Thornton scored two first-half touchdowns on the way to a 15-7 win over Lincoln-Way West in a SouthWest Suburban Red game in Harvey.
Towns finished with 67 yards on 20 carries, while also catching a 10-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter. Quarterback JoWahn Brown finished 10-of-19 for 164 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Thornton (5-1, 4-0).
“I wanted to pick up as many yards as I could get,” Towns said. “We didn’t need that big play from nothing so I just tried to get the little yards.”
Brown found D’Anthony Cross for a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter. After Towns’ touchdown catch later in the quarter, Jason Towns ran in the two-point conversion.
Lincoln-Way West (3-3, 2-2) scored its lone touchdown on a Rich Kruis 2-yard run early in the third quarter. The Warriors had one last shot at tying the game but a holding call negated an Adam Slattery catch that would have put the ball within the 10-yard line with under a minute to go.
Kruis finished with 40 yards on 12 carries, while Nick Dangles had 28 yards on nine carries. Quarterback Justin Keuch had 151 passing yards on 12-of-25 passing with two interceptions.
