It wasn’t quick, pretty or easy, but the Willowbrook football team managed to beat Glenbard East in Friday’s [Aug. 21] 2026 season opener in Villa Park.
The visiting Rams scored a touchdown with less than 30 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, and added the extra-point kick to even the score at 13-13. The Warriors’ offensive unit scored a touchdown on the first series of the overtime period, when senior Dionel Rocha crossed the goal line on a 3-yard run on a fourth-and-goal play. Senior Dylan Borkowski then made the extra-point kick to give the Warriors a 7-point lead. When Glenbard East failed to produce a touchdown on its ensuing drive, Willowbrook closed out a 20-13 victory.
“I knew it was coming to me, and I was excited,” said Rocha while discussing his overtime score. “I was ready for this. I knew this was meant for me. This is my family. This is my home. I’ve got to give everything I’ve got for these people.”
The crowd that witnessed the game’s final play at 11:16 p.m. was much smaller than the sizable audience that filled the bleachers for the opening kickoff at 7:32 p.m. The threat of rain dodged the area for most of the evening, but flashes of lightning caused an extremely brief delay at 9:34 p.m., when there were more than four minutes left in the third quarter. There was initially an announcement to clear the field at that time, but after some discussion between coaches, school administrators, and officials, the game continued about two minutes later.
At 10:02 p.m., when Glenbard East had the ball at its own 41-yard line with about five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, there were more flashes of lightning. Players and spectators exited the stadium for what turned out to be a delay of about 50 minutes. When the contest resumed, the lightning had left the area, but the first rainfall of the night arrived. Glenbard East’s offense marched down the field as the brief shower passed through. The rain had stopped by the time the Rams reached the goal line and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by senior Montii Perry, who produced several key runs during the late 81-yard scoring drive. Senior Moises Velazquez added the extra-point kick to tie the score at 13-13 with 28.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors took a knee on the next play from scrimmage to run the clock out and head into overtime action, which was contested on the south end of the stadium’s field. Some spirited students from both schools, who made up most of the remaining audience, moved from their sections on the north end of the stadium to the south end to get a better view of the overtime period.
Willowbrook’s football program had not beaten Glenbard East since 2012, when the Warriors won a wild 42-41 battle in that year’s season opener in Villa Park. Willowbrook and the Rams have not faced off every year since then. Glenbard East won nine of 11 season-opening games against Willowbrook from 2005 to 2015. The two programs resumed their rivalry in 2024, when the Rams won a thrilling 30-23 contest in Villa Park. Willowbrook took the lead in the closing minute of that game, but Glenbard East scored a touchdown in the waning seconds to pull out a victory.
One year ago, the Rams beat Willowbrook 28-21 in the 2025 season opener in Lombard.
In addition to ending their losing streak against the Rams on Friday night, the Warriors snapped a string of six straight losses in season openers. Willowbrook had not won its Week 1 contest since 2018, when the team wound up winning its first 11 games of the season before losing 34-27 in overtime at Batavia in an IHSA Class 7A quarterfinal. The Warriors then lost six straight openers from 2019 to 2025. There was no 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Glenbard East’s offense moved the ball down the field during the game’s opening drive before turning the ball over on a fumble. The Warriors made the recovery at their own 20-yard line.
Willowbrook took the lead when Rocha delivered an 11-yard touchdown run with 4:42 to play in the first quarter. Senior quarterback Nate Jerkovic completed a 44-yard pass to senior JJ Miulli on the previous play to set up Rocha’s scoring run. Senior Ben Swanson made the extra-point kick to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead.
Glenbard East sophomore Diamond Chew made a long return of the ensuing kickoff to lead to his team’s first score, a 27-yard field goal by Velazquez with 1:48 left in the first quarter. Velazquez added a 23-yard field goal with 7:21 remaining in the second quarter to cut the Warriors’ lead to 7-6.
Both teams committed multiple turnovers in Friday’s game. In one exchange in the second quarter, Willowbrook senior Nick Aleman intercepted a Glenbard East pass at midfield. The Warriors fumbled on the next play from scrimmage, and senior A.J. Triplett of the Rams made the recovery.
The Warriors expanded their lead shortly after Jerkovic and Miulli hooked up on another long pass play in the third quarter. Willowbrook then scored on a 16-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jackson Dyers. The Warriors were unable to connect on a two-point conversion pass, leaving their lead at 13-6 with 7:19 left in the third quarter.
Borkowski ended a Glenbard East scoring drive when he leaped to make an interception in the end zone with 4:19 remaining in the third quarter.
The Rams’ offense came to life after the fourth-quarter lightning delay, with Perry turning in several key runs, including a pair of rushes for first downs on fourth-down plays.
Perry rushed for 138 yards on 16 carries. Glenbard East sophomore quarterback Carter Pohlman completed 10 of 22 pass attempts for 66 yards. He threw two interceptions. Senior Malachi Miller made seven receptions for 54 yards.
“I think we showed some resolve, getting down the field and finding a way to get this thing tied and get it into overtime,” said Glenbard East coach John Walters. “We just weren’t clean in overtime. We put the ball on the deck twice in overtime. You can’t do that.”
Walters also noted the Rams’ turnovers during regulation.
“We threw a couple of interceptions,” he said. “We fumbled a few times. You’ve got to be able to handle the football and not turn it over. We just need to play better, more consistent football. We need to eliminate penalties, too.”
Glenbard East was flagged for 13 penalties during Friday’s game. The Warriors were called for 15 penalties.
“Not pretty; a ton of stuff to shore up,” said Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth. “I feel like it was a totally typical Week 1 game. Give our guys credit for hanging in there, just sticking with it and battling. It’s nice to learn where you need to shore things up and what you need to do while still finding a way to win the game.”
The Warriors’ season continues with this Friday’s game at Oswego East (1-0). Willowbrook will open its West Suburban Gold Conference season with a Sept. 4 contest at Leyden.
Glenbard East will face Plainfield North (1-0) this Friday in Lombard. The Rams will begin their Upstate Eight Conference East Division season with a Sept. 4 game at Fenton.
