Wheaton Academy capitalizes on 4 second-half turnovers to beat Sandwich in Class 4A playoffs

WEST CHICAGO – Keeping pace with Wheaton Academy during the first two quarters of Friday’s Class 4A first-round playoff game, Sandwich only trailed by a touchdown, 21-13 at halftime.

Wheaton Academy’s defense forced four Sandwich turnovers in the second half that broke the game open for a 55-19 win. The host Warriors turned an interception and two fumble recoveries into touchdowns.

Wheaton Academy will square off next weekend with St. Laurence, which eliminated the Warriors from last year’s playoff in a double overtime semi-final game.

“Our defensive production on the turnover side has been consistent throughout the season. It was really the deciding factor tonight,” Wheaton Academy coach Jim Johanik said. ”When they turned it over, we were able to capitalize on it.”

“It was a tale of two halves. We absolutely battled in the first half. The second half we had the interception, two fumbles that they recovered and a big kick return,” Sandwich coach Kris Cassie said. “In these type of games with a team this good, you can’t make those mistakes – and unfortunately we did.”

The Warriors widened their lead to 28-13 on the opening drive of the second half that ended with a 23-yard scoring pass from quarterback Nathan Downey to Jake Weston.

The Indians’ first drive of the second half ended when Gino Spinelli intercepted a Braden Behringer pass in the end zone. The pick turned into another Wheaton Academy touchdown when the Warriors ended the ensuing drive with Brandon Kiebles’ third score of the night on a 10-yard run. Kiebles finished the night gaining 109 yards on 12 attempts.

On Sandwich’s first play on its next drive, Weston forced a fumble that set his team up on the Indians’ 39-yard line. Four plays later, London Leflore crossed the goal line on a 4-yard run to put his team up 42-13 with 9:45 left to play. The Warriors forced another fumble, but Wheaton Academy (9-1) was unable to turn it into a TD.

“We played physical and hard and that’s all that matters,” said Leflore, who rushed for 129 yards on nine carries.

After a 59-yard TD Diego Gomez run that made the score 42-19 at the 2:57 mark of the fourth quarter, Sandwich tried an onside kick. The Indians recovered the ball but were unable to hold onto it. Zack Moravec scooped the ball up and returned it 15-yards for a score.

After the TD, Wheaton Academy executed an onside kick, retained possession of the ball and ended the drive with a 13-yard Tyler Jones TD run.

Sandwich (5-5) took an early lead scoring on its first possession of the game with a 1-yard TD run by Gomez at the 4:20 mark of the first quarter. The senior gained 208 yards on 19 carriers.

Wheaton Academy retook the lead on two Kiebles TDs - a 7-yard rush in the first quarter and a 15-yard run in the second frame.

Sandwich came up short in attempt to take the lead before halftime. Behringer connected with Simeion Harris for a 57-yard scoring pass at the 7:40 mark of the second quarter. A 2-point conversion failed.

Wheaton Academy ended the first half scoring with on a 1-yard scamper by Leflore.