Football may be a numbers game, but West Aurora’s Darius Stewart knows that sometimes they don’t always add up or reflect the true story of what happens on the field.
Case in point?
Played in sauna-like conditions that delayed the start by an hour, an unscripted halftime lightning show popped up Friday, forcing a 90-minute delay that pushed the game’s finish to midnight.
But for Stewart, a senior linebacker, his effort against host Streamwood was as easy as 1-2-3.
“Three fumble recoveries,” Stewart said. “On one, I was right there when they ripped the ball out, so I caught it and dove on it. The other two, the quarterback couldn’t keep the ball in his hands.
“I was trying to wipe my hands down all night.”
Ball security was definitely a challenge given the heat, but the Blackhawks pulled out a 49-21 Upstate Eight West win that wasn’t the walk in the park the final score might indicate.
Standout senior running back Bryce Riley, who came through with 232 all-purpose yards for West Aurora (1-2, 1-0), also fumbled twice but felt fortunate to only lose one.
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“It was pretty tough,” Riley said. “Yeah, I had some great stats, but those fumbles got into my mind. You had to stay hydrated but there was a lot of wetness going on.
“Everyone was sweaty and holding on to the ball was tough.”
Streamwood cut the deficit to seven points with 5:03 left in the third quarter, thanks to a third touchdown by senior running back Justin Brown, who finished with 170 yards.
Two more big plays from Stewart, though, helped swing the momentum back and seal the win.
“With the heat we had the past week, we just weren’t ready physically and like mentally mostly,” Stewart said. “We were just playing soft, playing too high up and getting pushed back.”
Stewart’s 5-yard sack of senior quarterback Aden Sanchez helped stall one drive and his 2-yard tackle for loss stymied another.
Then, yet another fumble recovery by junior safety Carlos Rivera was a fourth turnover for West Aurora’s defense.
“Stewart is one of the few juniors who started for us last year,” West Aurora defensive coordinator Pat Stremel said. “He grew really close to our two starting senior linebackers, Kellen Younie and Will Gray, who had been with us for a while.
“Darius has been part of our core group that’s going both ways, but we had him play more defense this past week because we needed that steady leadership. He was able to adjust quickly.”
Friday’s late night didn’t stop Stewart, who hopes to play at the next level, from taking advantage of a game-day invite he received for North Central College’s season opener Saturday.
“It’s definitely a dream to play in college,” Stewart said.
Stewart, who rotates in at all three linebacker spots during a game, has interest from several NCAA Division III schools. He’s also quick to adapt.
“We made some adjustments at halftime, some scheme changes, and the kids came out and played more physical in the second half,” Stremel said. “A kid like Darius makes a huge difference with those key plays.
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“He comes up with the ball three times and those three takeaways help a lot. He can also back up our nickelback if we need that, too. He does a little bit of everything.”
West Aurora coach Nate Eimer pointed out that Streamwood coach Don Guindon and his offense had the Blackhawks on the ropes.
“They’ve really grown in three years and he’s done a phenomenal job,” Eimer said. “They were executing (Friday night), the best they’ve been in three weeks. Fortunately, Darius was real tough.
“I thought he was big. He stepped up and got us going. We buckled down on a tough night. It was a unique day, but we got through it, got our first win and, hopefully, can keep this rolling.”