Prep football: Plainfield South blanks Plainfield Central to improve to 4-0

PLAINFIELD – Heading into their contest with crosstown rival Plainfield Central, coach Bill Bicker’s Plainfield South defense was only allowing less than a touchdown a game. To Bicker’s delight, that average will continue to decrease.

Plainfield South’s defense forced two turnovers that led to seven points and held the Wildcats to only 80 yards of total offense en route to a 20-0 victory over host Plainfield Central in Southwest Prairie Conference action Friday night.

“All our defense does is run to the ball, and that’s the most important thing that a defense can do,” Bicker said. “We do a pretty good job of finishing tackles, of playing good fundamental defense, and we’re technically sound. We’re not complex, but we’re pretty [darn] successful.”

Offensively South (4-0, 4-0 SPC) was led by senior running back Tod Bell (18 carries, 90 yards, TD). South also got significant contributions from senior running back Cody Dieball (16 carries, 40 yards, TD) and sophomore quarterback Joseph Passo (4 of 7, 95 yards).

Plainfield Central (1-3, 1-3 SPC) was led by seniors running back Tomas Scianna (10 rushes, 21 yards) and wide receiver Joey Kramarsky (three catches, 42 yards).

The Cougars dodged a bullet early on as they turned the ball over on the third play of the game. Fortunately, Central could not capitalize after not converting a fourth-and-9 on the South 31-yard line.

The Cougars rebounded and drove down the field and took a 3-0 lead on Benjamin Ortiz’s 35-yard field goal with 6:23 left in the first quarter.

The South defense then made one of the biggest plays in the game when junior safety Ahmad Thompson intercepted a Nicholas Barner pass and returned it 39 yards to the Central 1-yard line, from where Dieball scored virtually untouched on a run that extended the Cougars’ lead to 10-0 with 5:31 remaining in the first quarter.

“I was just playing my coverage, saw the ball in the air and picked it off,” Thompson said. “I actually should have had three interceptions in the game, but the others slipped off my hands.”

After a quick three-and-out by the Central offense, the Cougars took advantage of favorable field position at their own 42-yard line, drove down to the Wildcats’ 19, where Ortiz connected on his second field-goal attempt from 37 yards out to extend the South lead to 13-0 as time expired in the first quarter.

“We fully expected to be 4-0 at this point of the season, but we’re going to just keep working,” Joseph Passo said.

Plainfield South took a 13-0 lead into halftime, however, things were not all rosy as starting senior running back Dieball suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury late in the half and did not return for the rest of the game.

“Guys are going to get hurt during the season and guess what? The next person has to step up,” Bicker said. “Josh Ruiz has a big run late to salt the game away, so I’m proud of our kids and how they handled it.”

South put the game out of reach when Bell broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run to extend the Cougars’ lead to 20-0 with three minutes left in the game.

“It’s always a tough game between us and Plainfield South but we tried to give it our best shot tonight,” Central coach Jon Pereiro said. “We have a lot to work on this upcoming week.”