Football: Bloom Township's Blackful, Wade Are Show-Stoppers, Skid-Breakers

Coming off last week’s game, which let slip away, the Blazing Trojans were determined to avoid a third straight loss to open the season.

Led by LaVante Blackful and Randal Wade,

and we showed it was a fluke,” said Blackful, the Blazing Trojans quarterback who was almost untouchable when he had the ball Saturday.

Blackful accounted for three touchdowns on the day—two by ground and one by air. In just three quarters of work, he rushed the ball 14 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. He was 6-for-8 passing for 103 yards and one touchdown.

“I just try to play the best every week,” Blackful said. “I know what (level) I can play at and want to stay there.” 

Wade did something rarely seen on the football field when he scored two touchdowns in as many plays from scrimmage—one on offense and one on defense. First, he scored on a running play from 10 yards out at the 7:03 mark of the third quarter. Then he picked up a Viking fumble and scored on the next play from scrimmage, as Bloom Township took a 47-0 lead. 

“I knew I had to step up for the team,” Wade said. “I was tired of going down the wrong road and was tired of losing.” 

The Blazing Trojans (1-2) will look to even up their record Friday night when they host Rich Central at Sarff Field in Chicago Heights. 

“We can’t make mistakes,” Blazing Trojans coach Tony Palombi said of facing the Olympians. “They’re a good team—disciplined and just an impressive bunch.”