If this is to be his swan song, Carl Bonner won`t have any regrets. He`ll go out in style, proud of his 26 years as head football coach at Phillips High School.
”We wanted to show that we are a good football team today,” said Bonner after watching his Wildcats post a lopsided 28-6 victory over Du Sable Thursday in a Public League Central Section opener at Stagg Stadium.
”We were good on defense; we weren`t brilliant, but we were good and aggressive,” said Bonner, whose Wildcats (3-1, 1-0) are enjoying one of their best starts in recent years. ”And when you`re aggressive that means you`re going to be fairly good.”
Running back Derrick Randolph had 45 yards on seven carries but was sidelined the entire second half with an ankle injury. But Bonner came up with a new 1-2 punch in Cordell Gibson and Dushonne Triplett.
Gibson (2-of-5 passing, 63 yards; three carries for 33 yards) scored on a 2-yard run and tossed 47- and 16-yard touchdown passes to Leander Bradley.
Triplett (2-for-2 passing for 31 yards) hit Melvin Posey with a 10-yard touchdown pass, ran for a two-point conversion and hit Gibson with a two-point conversion pass.
”Triplett is our do-everything back,” said Bonner, 66, who plans to retire at the end of this season. ”He and Randolph are our bread-and-butter people. Gibson played fair today. He`s just a junior. He was a split end last year, but we found out he could throw when we saw him playing baseball.”
”Our pass protection was pretty good,” said Gibson, praising tackles Curtis Brewer (6-5, 260) and Reggie Peterson (6-2, 250), guards Demetrious Sykes (5-10, 210) and Keri Wingo (6-3, 240) and center Marvin Robinson (6-3, 240). ”Our line did a good job and that`s what makes the whole team work.”
Phillips` defense limited Du Sable (2-2, 0-1) to 36 total yards (minus 23 on the ground). ”(Phillips) really comes at you. They like to hit hard,” Du Sable coach Lexie Spurlock said.
Collins 42, Near North 0-Deyon Peterson (10 rushes for 151 yards) dashed 55 yards for one touchdown and raced 80 yards with an interception for another, Bobby McGee (10 carries, 101 yards) scored on a 47-yard run and Shannon Hester scored on a 30-yard dash and tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Fred Heath as Collins (1-3, 1-0) romped in a Public Northwest Section opener at Hanson Stadium. Near North dropped to 0-4, 0-1.
Robeson 22, Tilden 8-Trailing 8-0 after the first quarter, Robeson (1-3, 1-0) bunched all its scoring in the middle two quarters as James Davis threw 39- and 32-yard touchdown passes to Jason Carbins and a 20-yarder to Alan Brown in the Public League Central Section opener at Gately Stadium. Antoine Williams had two interceptions for Robeson.
Kenwood 28, Bowen 12-Marlon James had 19 attempts for 160 yards and three touchdowns and Andrew Speller tossed a 73-yard touchdown pass to Richard Chacon as Kenwood (2-2, 1-0) breezed past Bowen (0-2, 0-1) in the Public Southeast Section at Eckersall Stadium.
Gage Park 14, Kennedy 8-Desmond Porter scored on a 70-yard punt return and on a 25-yard interception return to lift Gage Park (2-2, 1-0) to the Public West Section victory at Rockne Stadium.
Chicago Vocational 44, South Shore 0-Quarterback Lanell Thompson (9 of 15 passing, 207 yards) threw for three touchdowns, including 65- and 35-yarders to Anton Manuel (3 receptions, 102 yards) and a 33-yarder to Kevin Bourn as Chicago Vocational (2-2, 1-0) romped in the Publis Southeast Section opener at Gately Stadium. Mike Moore (5 carries, 70 yards) had a 10-yard touchdown run and Charles Davis had an 18-yard touchdown for CVS. South Shore fell to 0-4, 0-1.
