PREP FOOTBALL: Danville looks back after defeat

OAK FOREST — As the final horn sounded on Friday’s IHSA Class 5A opening round game, the Danville football team could only look back on a improving season.Even though the Vikings lost 56-6, they did get four wins and were able to make it to the opening round.“I am still proud of them because we got better. We doubled what we did last year,” Danville coach Marcus Forrest said. “We would have loved to be more competitive from the start, but we had some people that could not be here for the choices that they made.”From the start, the Bengals were using their speed to sprint out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter.“They came out very on fire and came out with a lot of good energy and we couldn’t match that energy at the start,” senior D’Mario Jackson said. “I am proud of my guys no matter what, but they came out on fire.”“We struggles early and they came at us fast and hard and in doing that, it got mentally in the kids’ heads,” Forrest said. “Once we gathered ourselves a bit, we got some stops and we got a score. It is a learning experience for the young players and for the older one, I am glad of the foundation that have built, but we have to get better and grow together and find those who want to play here.”Disciplinary issuesThe Vikings were hurt from the start with senior running back/linebacker Amillian Beasley out for disciplinary issues.“He made a choice that wasn’t the best and that caused him to miss the game,” Forrest said. “He was thinking of himself instead of thinking about anyone else and left his future in the hands of someone else.”With Beasley’s absence, the team got younger with sophomores taking on the Bengals’ offense at linebacker.“We finished with linebackers that were 10th graders and a couple that started in JV had to play in a first-round game based on the situations they had to deal with,” Forrest said. “We had different situations with defensive backs and others that stepped up and play. Does it limit us? Yes and energetically, does not having someone hurt us? It did, but we don’t leave anything on that, we have to step up when we need to.”One last burstJackson scored the only touchdown for Danville with a 74-yard run in the fourth quarter in his final game as a Viking.“In the second half, we had the mentality of coming out and getting a score. We had nothing to lose at that point, so we gave it all we got and tried our best,” Jackson said. “Ending in the playoffs is a better finish than last year. I was happy for the program grow like that. Making the playoffs is a big achievement and I was happy we were one of the teams because a lot of teams did not make it, so it is a big blessing to be here.”“He’s one of the ones I know I am going to miss, because of his work ethic,” Forrest said. “He’s a smart kid and a great teammate and leader. He’s one of the ones that has helped us grow. He’s a state champion in track that came out because he loves to play football also.“He is someone that I have built a strong relationship with. You miss kids that you can trust and be a leader of this team. For two years, he has been a leader. This year, he expected others to be there, but that didn’t change his approach and still pressed forward and encouraged them. His positivity is one you are going to miss.”Adding to the recordsThe loss was the fifth straight in playoff action for the Vikings and they have been outscored 246-58 in those games. Four of the five losses haven ended up with running clocks in the second half, including Friday’s game. The loss ranks among the worst playoff losses in team history.The futureNext year, sophomores like quarterback Ryland Moore, running back Jaymion Cunningham, tight end Talmadge Brown and wide receiver/defensive back Giovante Thompson will be juniors and trying to best this year’s 4-6 mark. Returning as seniors will be linemen Jerall Morris, Ashton Anderson, Mekhye Gouard, Owen Gritton, Bentlee Lewsader and Nasir Miles and wide receivers De’Mario Kropp Morris and Ulexis Williams II