Tinley Park playoff-bound after beating Hillcrest
By Phil Ariva parvia@southtownstar.com October 20, 2012 12:02AM
Updated: October 20, 2012 12:36AM
In Week 8, Tinley Park lost under a running clock. In Week 9, the Titans won with the same unfettered timing, claiming a 41-6 win over Hillcrest in South Suburban Blue action in Tinley Park.
“We needed to get healthy,” Titans coach Nick Johnston said, noting his team faced Oak Forest without its starting quarterback, two running backs and two offensive linemen.
The Titans (5-4, 3-3) also knew they needed to get one win in their last two games to reach the playoffs for a third straight year. The 43 playoff points they took into Friday’s action never have failed to secure a berth for a 5-4 team, so resting key starters against No. 8 Oak Forest to be at full strength against Hillcrest (1-8, 1-5) wasn’t a bad play.
After a week off, running back Preston Thompson romped for 176 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries. His second-quarter scores of 40, 27 and 1 yard — the last set up by a 39-yard scamper three snaps earlier — broke open a game that was scoreless after one quarter.
The Titans led 27-0 at the half as Rob Wallace blocked a Hillcrest punt and Reynaldo Labampa recovered it in the end zone. Tinley Park’s second-half scores came on a 39-yard run from Thompson and a 60-yard fumble return by Bryan Hermann. Hillcrest’s lone touchdown came on Alonzo Ahshley’s 86-yard fourth-quarter fumble return.
