Copyright Chicago Tribune
Mason Atkins hasn’t seen it all when it comes to West Aurora football, but after emerging to be the starter as a sophomore, the Ball State-bound senior quarterback has seen more than most. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Atkins led his team to the playoffs for three straight years, something that no other quarterback can claim for a Blackhawks program that traces its history back to 1895. And Atkins has also developed into a dual-threat factor from behind center. “I just could not be more proud of that young man,” West Aurora coach Nate Eimer said of Atkins. “I’m gonna miss him, especially because of the things that people don’t see. “One of the things is how hard he practices. And that’s why I know he’s going to make it at the next level. I was just blessed to coach him. I wish we could have gotten this one for him.” Atkins and West Aurora came up short in that one Saturday night, a 48-34 loss to Belleville East in a Class 8A first-round playoff game that was a back-and-forth affair highlighted by big play after big play, hard hitting, plenty of penalty flags and some serious trash-talking. The subject brought a smile to the face of Atkins, who became the Blackhawks’ career passing yardage leader in the game by throwing for 139 yards, pushing him to 4,467 yards for his career and past Will Tammaru, who finished with 4,379 yards from 2017 to 2019. “It was pretty chippy — that’s what football is in the playoffs,” Atkins said. “Everyone wants to win and advance and everyone’s putting out their best effort. It’s gonna get a little chippy when there’ a lot of alphas out there going against each other. “I think it was just kind of good for the environment for everyone to be going at it.” Junior running back Bryce Riley got 16th-seeded West Aurora (7-3) going after the defense forced a punt by 17th-seeded Belleville East (8-2) on the first drive. Riley took a sweep left and scooted 75 yards down the sideline for an early lead. The Lancers, however, answered with 6-3 junior receiver/cornerback James Johnson, who also has a scholarship offer from Ball State. Johnson caught a short pass on fourth-and-2 and turned it into a 43-yard TD. He then jumped a route for an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive and returned it 40 yards for a TD. That built a short-lived 14-13 lead and also ramped things up according to Alfonso Aguilar, a senior two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines for the Blackhawks. “They were talking, we were talking,” Aguilar said. “We knew it was going to be close. It was an intense game.” West Aurora got a boost from senior receiver Lesroy Tittle. The Nazareth transfer returned a punt 71 yards for a TD and caught eight passes for 79 yards and two TDs. “Lesroy is a big-time player,” Eimer said. “I’m glad we got to know him.” Junior kicker Darek Szczeblewski added a pair of field goals but it wasn’t enough to offset Johnson’s seven catches for 102 yards and a TD and three rushing TDs by Josh Ware. “We couldn’t stop the big plays and they had our number in the red zone,” Eimer said, pointing to a stop in the second quarter from the Lancers’ 5-yard line on fourth down as a turning point. “I just thought we were running the ball down the field and they made a great play. That’s where it shifted. I wish I had that one back.” Atkins, meanwhile, ran 18 times for 88 yards, taking advantage of openings up the middle. “They bumped out their guys and were manning us up,” Atkins said. “Eimer trusts me as a runner. I’ve had to turn into a dual threat this year and you want to expand your game. “This one hurts being senior year, though. It definitely stings.”
