Joe Bozich bounced off the first would-be tackler from Downers Grove South, then got hit again, but the 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound quarterback wouldn’t go down.
One final defender took a shot, but Bozich made a spin move and broke free on a game-winning 49-yard touchdown run that gave Hinsdale Central a 21-14 upset of No. 9 Downers Grove South on Friday night at Dickinson Field in Hinsdale. That TD run with 2 minutes 48 seconds left in the game typified what this Red Devils team is all about.
“We’re just a bunch of unknown guys who play with a lot of heart,” said Bozich, who succeeded All-State quarterback Brad Bower, now at Illinois. “Downers South was so much bigger than us and had all the big-name players. I read all the stories in the newspapers that said we didn’t have a chance.
“There was no way I going down on that play. All game, our fullback Frank Soucek had been pounding them. This time, I pulled the ball back from his stomach and started running.
“This is the greatest feeling in the world.”
After Hinsdale Central (2-0) battled to a 7-7 tie in the first half with Downers South (1-1), Soucek broke free on a 21-yard touchdown run in the middle of the third quarter. The score was set up by Garrett Sosnovich’s interception at the Downers 21.
“We buried our cleats in the ground and went after them,” said defensive end Doug Pilcher about the Devils defense that limited Mustangs star tailback Erick Newman to 58 yards on 20 carries. “No one is an all-star on this team, but we believe in each other.”
With 4:18 left in the game, Newman had his longest run of the night–15 yards and into the end zone. That set the stage for Bozich’s big move.
“Yeah, that spin move, I practice it at midnight when I’m by myself in my room,” Bozich said with a laugh. “This was about earning respect.”
The defenses dominated in the first half with Hinsdale Central scoring its touchdown courtesy of a high punt snap by Downers South. Punter Bob Dreveny, also the Mustangs quarterback, recovered the loose ball and was tackled by Alex Perkowski on the Downers South 3-yard line.
Two plays later, Bozich scored on a 2-yard run and the Red Devils led 7-0 with 7:21 left in the first quarter. Hinsdale’s top rusher, P.J. Beuke, was sidelined with a knee injury suffered in the first quarter.
