Lockport’s Troy Mutz searched his memory banks. He recalled playing for the Homer Stallions in eighth grade and getting two interceptions against the Tinley Park Bulldogs.
The junior safety did it again Friday night with a lot more people watching him — and a lot more at stake.
In front of a packed homecoming crowd, Mutz had an interception on the first play of the game and added another later in the first quarter to spark the Porters to a 21-13 victory over Lincoln-Way West in a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover.
“The first pick, I read it like a book,” Mutz said. “The second one, the ball was in the air. I just went up and got it.”
Lockport (6-0) clinched qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but it wasn’t easy. Lincoln-Way West (2-4) had two drives in the fourth quarter to try and force a tie.
Defensively, however, the Porters stopped the Warriors with a three-and-out and an eight-play drive that ended at the West 42-yard line.
Lockport, which allowed just seven points in its first five games, faced adversity for the first time this season when sophomore quarterback Cole Crafton threw touchdown passes in the second half to Caymen Bulthuis and Jason Harris.
The Porters, though, passed the test.
“It kicked in that we couldn’t let them score anymore because it was too close of a game,” Mutz said. “We had to shut them out right there. The D-line was getting pressure in there.
“We gave up some scores, but you have to have a short memory.”
Lincoln-Way West’s four losses have come to Oswego East, Hersey, Bolingbrook and Lockport. Those teams entered Week 6 with a combined 19-1 record, but the Warriors can’t afford another loss if they want to make the playoffs.
Justin Harris, who produced 112 yards on 27 carries for Lincoln-Way West, said he saw some good things in the loss.
“The record says we’re a 2-4 team,” Harris said. “That’s a 6-0 team, and we brought them down to the wire.
“This shows we’re better than our record says. We have the toughest schedule in the state, and we will be in the playoffs.”
Lockport, which lost three fumbles in the first half, picked up a TD in the first quarter when quarterback Hayden Timosciek hit Andrew LoPresti on a 19-yard pass.
After Mutz’s second interception, receiver Ryan Little ran a reverse play and hooked up with the 6-foot-7 Timosciek on a 38-yard pass.
Little, who had caught a TD pass in each of Lockport’s first five victories, saw that streak end. But he said he didn’t mind since he had the TD throw on a play the Porters call “supreme upload.”
“We practice that play every day,” he said. “We never used it in a game because we were always up by so much.
“Hayden is a good target. We were laughing in the end zone.”
Little said the play was designed by receivers coach Adam Decaire, who was celebrating his birthday Friday night.
“It was our birthday present to him,” Little said.
Running back Ty Schultz gave the Porters some breathing room with 11 minutes, 7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, rattling off a 39-yard TD run in building a 21-6 lead. He finished with 84 yards on 16 carries.
“The offensive line did most of the work and I just followed the block,” Schultz said of the scoring play. “I had a couple of plays before that where I thought I would break it, but I didn’t make the right cut.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.