10/18/2026
Lockport Football Ends The Regular Season With Another Shutout Victory And Will Host An Opening Round Playoff Game
By Randy Whalen
The Lockport Township football team had so much to play for in its final regular-season game.
Playoff positioning. A winning regular season, following a poor start. Plus, the Porters wanted to show that they were better than the previous week's game indicated.
They accomplished all of that.
After a lopsided loss to visiting Lincoln-Way East last week, the Porters put together a strong game and blanked Waubonsie Valley 35-0 in a nonconference clash Friday night in Aurora.
The Warriors (3-6) played without starting junior quarterback Nolan Alberson. That helped Lockport (5-4) record its third shutout of the season. That's the most for the Porters since they blanked five teams in 2021 en route to the Class 8A State Championship.
"Their quarterback was out, and that helped us," Lockport coach George Czart said. "But yes, it felt good for our defense to keep them off the scoreboard. After last week, we wanted to get on the right track and end the regular season with a victory."
The victory takes away some of the sting of the previous week's 40-0 loss to the Griffins. It's also Lockport's fifth win in its last six games after a 0-3 start. The Porters, who are seeded No. 28 in the expanded Illinois High School Association playoffs, will now host an opening-round playoff game.
That will be this Friday, October 23, at 7:15 PM at Porter Stadium against No. 37-seeded Stevenson. It will be a rematch of the 2002 Class 8A State Title game, when Lockport scored the final 28 points to win its first State Championship, 35-14.
"I felt good," Lockport junior linebacker Brennen Malloy said of the big win over Waubonsie Valley. "We had fun out there and got to do it with all the boys; it was a team win. We just stayed within ourselves, did our assignment, our 1/11th, and came out victorious.
"If we continue to play our game and do our roles, more good things will come."
Malloy also serves as the team punter. But after punting four times in the first half, he didn't have to again until there was just over a minute left in the game. He also had numerous tackles, including one for a 5-yard loss in the final minute of the first quarter.
That came moments after the Porters' first touchdown: senior running back Hayden Phillips ran for an 8-yard touchdown, giving them a 7-0 lead with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Senior Andrew Maloney set it up with a 43-yard punt return.
The Warriors, who qualified for the playoffs for the second time since 2018 as the No. 41 seed, leaned on John Hung's offense. The junior running back finished with 22 carries for 97 yards, and he and senior running back Bradyn Hostetler helped Waubonsie Valley reach the Porter 19 late in the second quarter.
But on fourth down, senior linebacker Griffin Benson intercepted Antoine Sanders, who was pressed into quarterback duties and finished with 19 passing yards. Lockport had to punt, and the Warriors got the ball at their own 32 with just over a minute to play in the second quarter.
Sanders, a junior, tried to spark the offense, but junior linebacker Austin Bielski picked off his pass and returned it 31 yards to the Warriors' 9-yard line.
"We went over what positions we have to be in at linebacker," Bielski said of his second interception of the season. "So I dropped into my space and got it. But I've got to get faster to score the touchdown.
"I just love this team and being with my brothers. I love Coach Czart and the way all the coaches teach you to do your job."
On third-and-goal from the eight, Lockport senior quarterback Griffin Russell danced and scrambled to buy time in the pocket, then found Maloney free in the end zone for an 8-yard TD pass. That came with just 23 seconds left in the half, and it was 14-0, which was also the halftime score
The Porters were doing their job in the second half. Senior running back Rory Radatz (5 carries for 36 yards) plowed in for a 13-yard TD run. Vince Guerra, who took over extra-point and field-goal duties after fellow senior Zane Szynkowski went down with an injury, added the extra point, and the score was 21-0 just 3:30 into the third quarter.
Waubonsie Valley drove to the Lockport 15. But on fourth and two, a pile of Porters stopped Hung for no gain.
Two plays later, Russell ripped a perfect pass over the middle to junior wide receiver Jaxson Little that went for a 76-yard touchdown. That made it 28-0 with 1:13 to play in the third quarter.
"It feels great, "Little said. "I'm the youngest of all my brothers, who also played at Lockport. So it's great, just being out with the guys and getting points."
Little had four receptions for 155 yards. Russell finished 10-for-18 for 183 yards with two touchdown passes. He capped the scoring by getting some great blocks in racing around right end for a 6-yard TD run with 8:29 to play.
"That win was a big one for our team going into the playoffs," Russell said. "The win gave our team a much-needed confidence boost. The defense played amazingly, and that's because our guys stayed locked in during the week and had a next-man-up mentality."
When the Porters opened the season 0-3, they didn't know if they would make the playoffs. But they've won 5 of 6 and finished the regular season above .500 for the sixth time in Czart's eight seasons at the school.
"When we were 0-3, it was a lot on us," Little said. "But we're coming into the playoffs with a head of steam and very confident. It shows a lot. We didn't hang our heads. We just went out and got better every day."
Russell agreed and knows that if the Porters win this Friday, they will have a short road trip to play former conference rival Bolingbrook (8-1), the No. 5 seed.
"We are very excited for the playoffs as a group and are ready for the challenge," Russell said. "Stevenson is a good opponent, and we will need to have a great week of practice to be able to come out victorious."
