Jamal Towns wasn’t sure what Thornton coach Bill Mosel’s halftime adjustments were. He was just glad that they happened.
The junior tailback became a workhorse in the second half and helped carry Thornton to a 26-14 Southwest Suburban Red win over Bradley-Bourbonnais in Harvey.
“I think (Mosel) talked to the line about opening bigger holes at halftime,” Towns said. “I love getting the ball a lot. That’s what we do in practice every day.”
Towns had only 28 yards on 10 carries at halftime, but that changed in the third quarter when the 5-8 tailback carried six times on an eight-play scoring drive. He capped it with a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 20-7 lead with two minutes remaining in the quarter.
The drive was set up when Towns recovered a fumble by Bradley’s Seth Pallissard on a punt return.
“We made some adjustments with the O-line, and it worked for us,” Mosel said. “The play at the end of the first half was a big momentum swing for us.”
With Thornton (2-1, 1-0) looking to run out the clock in the first half, Towns raced around left end for a 9-yard gain and was hit after he stepped out of bounds. The ensuing 15-yard penalty put the ball at the Bradley 39-yard line with six seconds left.
Twin brother Jason Towns threw a Hail Mary pass that Jamel Frazier snatched away from a defender, and Frazier then twisted his way into the end zone to put the Wildcats ahead for good 12-7 with no time left on the clock.
“That play really pumped us up,” Jamal Towns said. “That was a wonderful catch by Jamel.”
Bradley (1-2, 0-1) closed to 20-14 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Devail Bryant with 9 minutes, 43 seconds left to play.
That’s when Jamal Towns stepped up his game. Thornton marched the ball 74 yards on 15 plays while eating up 6:45 on the clock. Jamal Towns carried the ball 11 times during that drive and scored on a 1-yard run. His 32-yard run on a third-and-12 play kept the drive going. Jason Towns also played his part by scrambling 16 yards on a fourth-and-13 play.
“Our offense is still a work in progress,” Mosel said. “Any time you give (the Town brothers) daylight, they’re a threat.”
Player of the game:
Jamal Towns, Thornton, 33 carries, 133 yards, 2 TDs.
Key performers:
Thornton — Jason Towns, 12-for-14, 131 yards, 2 TDs; Jamel Frazier, 3 catches, 97 yards, 2 TDs. Bradley-Bourbonnais — Myles Clark, 9 catches, 104 yards.
