Josh Brown’s second huge rushing game of the season carries Willowbrook to big win at Addison Trail

Last football season, Willowbrook senior Sergio Ayala enjoyed starting on defense with junior Josh Brown.

Now Ayala also loves blocking for Brown, the Warriors’ new starting runningback.

“He’s a frigging workhorse. You get the ball in his hands and let him run, and that guy goes wild,” said Ayala, a right guard/linebacker.

“Especially with the O-line up front, we’ve got four other guys working their tails off. And the numbers don’t lie.”

Brown continued his impressive start Friday by rushing for 249 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries in the Warriors’ 48-13 victory at Addison Trail to move to 2-0 overall and in the West Suburban Gold.

Junior Jaylon White also excelled with 143 yards and three TDs on 14 carries. The Warriors collected 401 rushing yards and 465 total.

“This has been very fun. I couldn’t do it without my line,” Brown said. “I love my line. I’m going to do everything for my line. My line will hit you so hard you’ll turn stone cold.”

Left tackle Enrique Cruz is a Syracuse commit. Also starting are left guard Izerick Yates, center Max Manning and right tackle Lucas Kusmierz.

Brown collected 241 rushing yards and five TDs in the season-opening 40-0 victory over Leyden.

On the Warriors’ second offensive play Friday, Brown delivered a 51-yard TD scamperaround right end. Brown also made numerous tackles at defensive end.

“I don’t know if I’ve coached anybody that plays football as hard as he does. It was just getting ready and being prepared (for running back). Not surprising, just the effort and work he puts in,” Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth said. “I felt like our O-line was moving well and giving those guys opportunities.”

Brown scored again in the first quarter on a 16-yard run after Ayala recovered a high shotgun snap and an 18-yard second-quarter run. The Warriors led 41-6 at halftime behind 340 rushing yards and 18 first downs.

A spot varsity player in 2019, White scored the Warriors’ second TD on a 48-yard run – right after a Brown’s 39-yard scoring run was nullified by a holding penalty – and two second-quarter TDs on a 1-yard run after his 23-yard gain and a 16-yard TD around left end.

“I appreciate Jaylon every time he goes in, the way he runs. It’s just like a competition between me and him. He scores, I’m going to score. He scores two, I’m going to score two,” Brown said.

“I apologize for every time I come out because I’m trying to play defense, play offense. I’m taking over what Sam and Scotty Tumilty did (contributing both ways). I feel I can do better than what I am doing right now.”

The Warriors initiated the running clock with 5:38 left in the third quarter on an 11-yard TD pass from quarterback AJ Palicki to Haven Pryor for a 48-6 lead.

Addison Trail senior Eric Reed also gave a great two-way effort. Reed rushed for 125 yards on 22 carries, scored the Blazers’ first TDs of the season and made several tackles and had an interception along with Yahya Quadri.

Reed cut the deficit to 7-6 in the first quarter on a 56-yard run after he broke free from a pile at the 40. Reed added a 5-yard score with 8:43 to go.

“He plays hard. He’s that type of leader and we’ve just got to rally around him,” said Addison Trail coach Chris Bazant, whose team previously lost to Glenbard West 56-0. “I never question their heart and they’re playing tough and they’re playing hard. There are areas that we improved and there’s areas we’ve got to continue to learn and get better.”

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