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Oak Forest too much for Hinsdale South
Oak Forest's Tyler Usterbowski (left). | Allen Cunningham~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: October 27, 2012 12:18AM
OAK FOREST — It’s one thing to gameplan against Oak Forest’s run-heavy offense.
Stopping it is quite another.
Hinsdale South found that out Friday in the first round of the 6A playoffs against the Bengals.
Oak Forest piled up 364 yards of offense — all but 20 coming on the ground — during a dominant 29-0 victory over Hinsdale South.
The Bengals advance to play Shepard, a 23-7 winner over Perspectives Charter-Calumet Friday.
“We lost to a quality football team tonight,” Hinsdale South coach Mike Barry said. “Sometimes it’s the X’s and the O’s, and sometimes it’s the Jimmys and the Joes. You know what they’re going to do, but you still have to stop them. I’ve seen film on a lot of different teams. Oak Forest is going to be all right (in the playoffs).”
Oak Forest (9-1) had its way with the Hornets (7-3) on offense, but the Bengals’ defense was equally superb.
Hinsdale South recorded just 93 yards of total offense and four first downs. Running back Arian Toney had a hard-fought 44 yards on 14 carries, and quarterback D.J. Deolitsis, pressured most of the game, finished 7-of-15 for 36 yards.
“This was one of our best games all year,” Oak Forest defensive lineman Tom Livingston said. “Our prep team got us ready for this game. That’s who we give the credit to.”
Fullback Ben Santiago (20 carries, 106 yards) and wingback Tyler Usterbowski (seven carries, 113 yards) each topped the century mark on the ground.
However, it was Kyle Hullinger who gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead on a 30-yard scamper with 8:10 left in the first quarter. The dash capped a seven-play, 65-yard game-opening drive by the Bengals.
“Scoring first was huge,” Oak Forest coach Brian McDonough said. “It took pressure of our defense.”
A 30-yard field goal by Blake Waller made it 10-0 at the half.
Any hope of a Hornets comeback was erased on the Bengals’ first series of the second half. After Santiago had a touchdown run called back, quarterback Nick Ciufia hit Hullinger on a 12-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-2 play. Waller added the PAT for a 17-0 spread at 6:18 of the third.
Oak Forest added two scores in the fourth quarter: a 29-yard run by Tom Zale and a 39-yard burst by Usterbowski.
Pick up your local Pioneer Press newspaper on Thursday to read more about the Hinsdale South football team.
