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player ready...Is Hillcrest the biggest bounce-back team in the Southland?
With Marcus Garrett Jr. and Ronald Atkinson manufacturing big plays on both sides of the ball, the Hawks sure looked the part Saturday against T.F. North.
Garrett ran for two touchdowns, Atkinson chipped in a pick-six and Hillcrest kept its undefeated season intact with a 34-0 South Suburban Blue victory in Country Club Hills.
“Those guys are work horses for us,” Hillcrest first-year head coach Marquice Cole said. “Marcus can do anything on the football field for us — anything. And Ron, he never stops. He’s always working. That’s one thing I love about that kid.”
Garrett ran for 89 yards on 19 carries and added an impressive 21-yard grab down the sideline from quarterback Aaron McCaskill. Atkinson, a defensive end, led a determined defense with two sacks.
Linebackers Jaylen Jenkins, Tayjione Nathan and Zion Perry also contributed heavily in the shutout over T.F. North (2-2, 0-2).
Hillcrest (4-0, 2-0) now has as many wins as they did winless seasons in the last five years.
“Everybody always asks me if I was nervous about taking the job after hearing about the record,” said Cole, a Northwestern and NFL alum who graduated from Hillcrest in 2002. “No. This is the same school that has a state championship basketball team. The athletes are here, it’s all about the effort and the discipline.”
Garrett is a prime example of one of those athletes. The junior running back showed a good mix of speed and power, and no play showed that better than a second quarter 13-yard scamper down the sideline.
Garrett flashed his burst to get outside and finished by lowering his shoulder for a few extra yards instead of getting out of bounds.
“I’m shifty, but I’ve got a little power, too,” Garrett said. “(Coaches) say I dance too much, but I think I was one cut and go (Saturday). That’s all it’s about.”
A few plays later, Garrett forced his way into the end zone for a 5-yard TD. He followed that score by hitting Brenden Batton for a two-point conversion and 8-0 lead.
Anthony Watkins paced T.F. North with 119 yards on 22 carries, but the Meteors never really threatened to score due to Hillcrest’s consistent pressure upfront.
“To me, the game begins from the first day of practice the week of that game,” Atkinson said. “I played hard all week in practice — battling a cold, too — and that’s how I got that pick-six.”
Atkinson’s TD gave Hillcrest a 22-0 lead with 9:04 remaining in the third quarter. Atkinson, claiming improved accountability, said the energy around Hillcrest’s program is snowballing with Cole leading the way.
McCaskill closed out the scoring with TD passes of 35 and 36 yards to Kameron Autman and David Gatlin.
Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.