The Willowbrook football team improved to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in West Suburban Gold Conference action after Friday’s (Sept. 25) 15-7 victory over Morton in Villa Park. Playing in their 2026 homecoming game, the Warriors built a 15-0 lead early in the second quarter and held on to earn a win and end their two-game losing streak.
Morton, which fell to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in conference play, scored its only touchdown of the evening with a little more than three minutes left in the game. The Mustangs’ offense didn’t take the field after its touchdown drive, as Willowbrook’s offensive unit ran out the clock after picking up three first downs.
Morton received the game’s opening kickoff and punted after three plays from scrimmage. Junior Jax Chavez of the Warriors fielded the punt at his team’s 31-yard line and delivered a 53-yard return to the Mustangs’ 16-yard line. Moments later, junior quarterback Niko Vourlos connected with senior Dylan Borkowski on a 13-yard touchdown pass. The Warriors lined up for an extra-point kick, but after Morton committed a penalty, and the ball was placed closer to the goal line, Willowbrook’s offensive unit returned to the field. Chavez took a handoff and ran into the end zone for a successful two-point conversion that gave the Warriors an 8-0 lead with 8:45 left in the first quarter.
Willowbrook scored its next touchdown when junior Kameron Greenhow crossed the goal line on a 3-yard run with 10:54 remaining in the second quarter. Greenhow’s touchdown run capped a 35-yard drive that began after a short Morton punt late in the first quarter. Senior Ben Swanson made the extra-point kick to give the Warriors a 15-0 lead in the contest, which took place in calm and pleasant conditions in front of a large and spirited audience of Willowbrook supporters.
The Warriors could have added to their lead later in the second quarter, but a pair of promising drives in the closing minutes of the first half ended with turnovers. Willowbrook, which used multiple quarterbacks during the game, drove the ball inside the Mustangs’ 10-yard line with less than two minutes to play in the first half. One scoring threat ended when Morton intercepted a Warrior pass in the end zone with 1:46 left in the half. The Warriors regained possession about one minute later, and a leaping 30-yard reception by senior Josiah Marlowe advanced the ball to the Mustangs’ 6-yard line. A short time later, Morton intercepted a pass at the goal line with 14 seconds remaining before halftime.
The Warriors committed another turnover deep inside Morton territory during the second half. Willowbrook’s offense moved the ball to the Mustangs’ 14-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but after a snap sailed over the quarterback’s head, Morton recovered the loose ball it its own 29-yard line with 10:34 to play.
“We did move the ball, but we turned it over three times,” said Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth after the homecoming victory over the Mustangs. “We didn’t finish those drives. That’s what we’ve got to figure out. But we got out of here with a win, and we’ll move forward from there.
The Mustangs ended the Warriors’ hopes for a shutout victory when they scored a touchdown on a 2-yard quarterback sneak with 3:16 left in the game. Morton added the extra-point kick to trim Willowbrook’s lead to 15-7.
The Mustangs didn’t seem to try an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but their short kickoff went out of bounds, and the Warriors began a drive at their own 45-yard line. Some strong runs by Chavez allowed Willowbrook to pick up three first downs and run out the clock. The Warriors had the ball inside Morton’s 10-yard line when they took a knee on the game’s final play.
Willowbrook will play its only Saturday game of the regular season this weekend. The Warriors will travel to Hillside to face Proviso West (1-5 overall) of the West Suburban Silver Conference in a battle that’s scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Willowbrook will complete its regular season with two conference home games. The Warriors will meet Proviso East in Villa Park on Friday, Oct. 9. Willowbrook will wrap up its regular season with a home game against Addison Trail on Thursday, Oct. 15.
