Willowbrook head football coach Nick Hildreth reached 100 career victories when the Warriors beat Leyden 26-9 in Week 3.
The Willowbrook Athletics department announced the milestone on Thursday, Sept. 10, adding that it will recognize Hildreth and the football coaching staff before the Sept. 11 varsity home game against Downers Grove South. The pregame ceremony is set for the Warriors' stadium in Villa Park.
The win over Leyden wasn't comfortable early. Willowbrook led just 7-6 at halftime before pulling away in the second half. Sophomore Jax Dyers scored on a 70-yard quarterback draw and threw a touchdown pass to Josiah Marlowe. Nate Jerkovic also connected with Marlowe for a touchdown, and Dionel Rocha added a rushing score, according to Shaw Local's Week 4 preview.
Hildreth's standout 2018 season produced an 11-1 record and a West Suburban Gold Conference title. The Warriors reached the IHSA Class 7A quarterfinal before falling 34-27 in overtime at Batavia. The program then endured a rough stretch, losing six straight season openers from 2019 through 2025.
That streak ended Aug. 21 when Willowbrook beat Glenbard East 20-13 in overtime. After that game, Hildreth told the Lombardian the win was "not pretty" but praised his players for "hanging in there, just sticking with it and battling."
A Week 2 loss to Oswego East, 22-14, dropped the Warriors to 1-1. The Leyden victory pushed them to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the West Suburban Gold.
Hildreth was named a Papa John's Bears High School Coach of the Week during a prior season, per the District 88 website.
The Sept. 11 game against Downers Grove South (2-1, 1-0 West Suburban Gold) is a conference matchup with recent history favoring the Mustangs. Downers Grove South beat Willowbrook 34-23 last season and has won the last four meetings between the programs.
