Willowbrook students are encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities, which help to broaden and enrich their high school experience. More than 50 clubs are offered at the school, including honor societies and curriculum-focused activities.
Roth was a standout football and wrestling player at Willowbrook before continuing his career at Iowa, where he won the state title at 275 pounds. He then played seven seasons in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and Browns.
Offense
The Warriors are a talented team both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. They have a good group of seniors, and they have a lot of potential for the future. However, they had a hard time competing against Wheaton North’s dominant defense.
Willowbrook is a public four-year high school located in Villa Park, Illinois, and serves students from the towns of Villa Park, Oakbrook Terrace, and portions of Elmhurst, Lombard, and Addison. The school is a member of the West Suburban Conference and is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education. The school offers a wide range of academic and co-curricular programs, including 26 athletic teams and 47 clubs that focus on curriculum-focused activities. It also has a number of honor societies and other activities that connect students to the community.
Willowbrook High School is a large, suburban school with over 500 students and a faculty of 40. The school offers a comprehensive academic program with advanced placement courses available. The campus is well-maintained and has modern facilities. It also features a new science center. The student population is diverse, with students from many countries and backgrounds.
The football team has been very competitive this year, but they have not managed to get into the playoffs. They have had some close games, and their record is 3-4. They are hoping to improve next season, and they have a chance to play for a conference championship.
Downers Grove South hosted Willowbrook in Week 4 football on Friday night. The Mustangs were able to score several points early in the game, but they struggled to maintain their lead. In the second half, Deon Davis was able to run for a touchdown and give DGS a late charge.
The girl’s flag football team at Willowbrook is proliferating. The players are all athletes and are passionate about the sport. The team hopes to become an IHSA sport next year. The coaches are proud of the growth and success of their team, which includes several top-notch athletes. They have been able to build a strong bond between the players.
Defense
The 2023 boys’ varsity football team has started the season off on a great note. Their defense has been a critical component in their recent wins. They have allowed only a single touchdown in their first two games of the season. This is a perfect sign for the team as they continue to improve throughout the year.
The team opened up conference play with a challenging road game against Willowbrook High School. They jumped out to an early lead, but the Red Devils tied it up with seven minutes left in the first quarter. Matt Rush, junior quarterback, then connected with J.T. Kolke, senior wide receiver, to give them the lead again. However, the Red Devils were able to score another touchdown before halftime and went into the break with a 21-14 lead.
Downers Grove South then scored a touchdown in the third quarter, evening it up at 21-21. They were able to maintain this lead for the rest of the game. The final score was 27-21, putting DGS in an excellent position for the rest of the season.
Willowbrook’s offense struggled in the second half, but it was not for lack of trying. They were unable to get much going against the Falcons’ defense.
Wheaton North’s defense was a big reason they were able to dominate the Warriors in the first round. The defending state champs were able to shut down the Warriors’ attack while still managing to score enough points to win the game.
The girls’ varsity cross-country team has had a very successful season so far. They have placed in the top ten at many of their meets. They also have a couple of Illinois state qualifiers. Senior Victoria Palma is one of these, as she holds the school’s fastest 3A state time. She will continue her athletic and academic career at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The team has done a great job so far this season and is looking forward to the challenges ahead.
Special Teams
Rocco Luczak is a guy who knows what it takes to perform on special teams. As a junior, he had two onside kicks that resulted in touchdown scoring drives. His team won the game and improved to 2-0 this season. Those kinds of plays are critical to any successful football program. Luczak credits his coach for teaching him the nuance of special teams play. He says if you don’t execute one phase of the game, it can ruin the entire night for your team.
The Willowbrook Warriors rushed out to a 21-6 win over the Oak Park and River Forest Huskies on Friday night in a Class 7A first-round game at Willowbrook Stadium. The Warriors took advantage of several mistakes by the Huskies. For example, OPRF quarterback Matt McGill was ruled out of bounds on a fourth-and-goal attempt from the 2-yard line when he tried to throw a keeper on the left side of the line. The Warrior defense also blocked a punt and returned it for a score.
Willowbrook senior running back AJ Palicki, who has signed with the University of Illinois at Chicago, has been a critical contributor to the offense this season. He has scored four rushing touchdowns and is the team’s top receiver with eight receptions. Palicki is a big reason why the Warriors have the most points in their division so far this season.
The OPRF offense struggled to sustain drives and ended up with only 173 yards of total offense. Nevertheless, the Huskies were able to put together a solid offensive drive early in the second half that included a 31-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matt Rush to RB Ta’Vion Geanes. OPRF’s defense was stout all night, including a strong run defense that held the Warrior offense to just ten rushing yards in the second half.
Willowbrook High School students are encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities to broaden their educational experience and connect with their community. The school offers more than 50 clubs with a wide range of interests, including honor societies and curriculum-focused activities. In addition, the school’s music department features three choral ensembles, two concert bands and a string orchestra, as well as two levels of auditioned extracurricular ensembles.
Coaches
Known for its academic programs, the school also offers numerous co-curricular activities. Students can choose from more than 50 clubs, which range from honor societies to curriculum-focused activities. In addition, the school’s music department has several levels of auditioned curricular ensembles.
Head coach Nick Hildreth leads the varsity football team. Hildreth has been coaching at the high school level for more than a decade, with a career record of more than 225 wins. He was recently named the AP of the Year in Illinois high school football by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).
Senior running back Deon Davis began the night with a 56-yard touchdown run, electrifying the crowd at Downers Grove South. He tacked on two more 1-yard TD runs in the second half, and his last one was the game-winner with less than two minutes left.
With the win, the Warriors matched their regular season win total from last year and improved to 5-5 overall. Hildreth credits Palicki with providing the leadership needed to improve on last year’s disappointing finish.
He said that during the offseason, Palicki emphasized hitting the weight room to bulk up and better absorb hits. He also added that the Warriors have been working on improving their footwork in the passing game.
In addition to its football program, the school also has successful boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams, as well as a boys’ soccer team that battled some of the state’s top competition. The boys’ soccer team lost a number of seniors, including captain and goalie Tom Domin, who played for the University of Notre Dame in a 1977-78 national championship game.
The football program also has a strong coaching staff, including special teams coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andy Blakemore. Blakemore is a former University of Arizona assistant coach, where he spent three years as a varsity assistant and helped the Aztecs win a pair of Big Ten titles. He has also coached at the middle school and high school levels in Arizona, Missouri, and Illinois. In his current role at Willowbrook, he manages the school’s 28 athletic programs and approximately 100 coaches.
