This one stung for West Aurora, senior linebacker Will Gray had to admit.
The Blackhawks’ leading tackler through four games, Gray plays in the middle of the defense.
From that perspective, Gray didn’t mince any words while reflecting upon last Friday’s game. West Aurora dropped 42-35 Upstate Eight West decision in a back-and-forth battle with South Elgin.
“We were all pretty (mad),” Gray said of the mood in the postgame locker room. “We definitely wanted that win more than anything — to win the conference title and go back-to-back.”
With five games remaining, starting with a 7 p.m. home date Friday against Bartlett (1-3, 1-0), the Blackhawks (2-2, 1-1) will definitely need help to catch the division-leading Storm (2-2, 1-1).
“We hadn’t done that in a long time, win back-to-back titles, not since 1949,” Gray said. “So it was definitely a big deal. This was one we really wanted.”
While the game was highlighted on their schedule, the Blackhawks knew the Storm would do the same, especially after last year’s 50-7 loss to West Aurora in its undefeated run to the title.
West Aurora still has plenty to play for this season, and winning out in the final five regular-season games is not an unrealistic goal.
“We’re hoping for that — to win out and get a home playoff game,” said Gray, who has emerged as a team leader playing alongside senior linebacker Kellen Younie, his good friend and workout partner.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Gray has steadily improved each year in the program because of a strong work ethic, according to coach Nate Eimer.
Gray has a team-leading 30 tackles, giving him a slim lead over Younie, who has 28 as the weakside linebacker. Junior Darius Stewart, the other outside linebacker, is third with 23 tackles.
“Kellen and I tried to lead Friday after the game saying, ‘Hey, we need to step it up,’” Gray said. “We had a really good week of practice for that game. It’s not like we weren’t preparing ourselves.
“I feel like we can get the parts together and start moving like a machine.”
Continued improvement from two-way player Lesroy Tittle, who has struggled with cramping issues after a late start following his transfer, will help.
“He comes in sometimes in our ‘cash’ spot,” Gray said. “We’ll go into our stack formation, which is three down linemen and four linebackers. Lesroy will play defensive end sometimes, too.”
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Playing multiple positions isn’t foreign to Gray either, although he’s been focused on linebacker and some defensive line for most of his varsity career.
“He’s been a neat story,” Eimer said. “As a freshman, he was good, but he just kept working and became a phenomenal player. And he steps up the biggest in the biggest moments.”
Gray was promoted to varsity as a sophomore for Weeks 9 and 10 with Younie sidelined by injury.
“In the playoff game at Edwardsville, he had a huge impact for us,” West Aurora defensive coordinator Pat Stremel said. “They were going in for a score on their opening drive, getting inside our 5, when Will stripped the ball and we recovered.
“We were tight, in a close game with them through the first half, and a lot of that was due to Will’s big play.”
As a junior, Gray missed two games with a broken bone in his wrist, a season highlighted by an interception return for a touchdown.
He has garnered seven NCAA Division III roster spot offers that include 13-time national champ Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, as well as Elmhurst, Platteville, Oshkosh and Carthage.
“I’m definitely not afraid to hit someone,” said Gray, a National Honor Society student. “I like contact. And I feel like I know a lot. Kellen and I put in a lot of film study.”
His future looks bright.
“He has just kept fighting this year and he’s got the drive,” Stremel said of Gray. “He wants to play and it shows. He’s always asking questions, always thinking football.”