The Willowbrook football team had its own version of a blackout Friday night in Villa Park.

The coaching staff surprised the team with black jerseys before the game started and a pumped up Warrior squad took the field and earned its first victory of the season by knocking off Hinsdale South 23-9 to highlight homecoming weekend.

The victory was the first for the Warriors this season (1-6 overall, 1-4 WSG), while it also knocked the Hornets (2-5, 2-2) out of playoff contention. It was also the second straight year the Warriors beat Hinsdale South after losing the previous four.

The Warriors led 9-0 at halftime, but the Hornets trimmed it to 9-7 three minutes into the third quarter. The two-yard touchdown run was set up by a punt block.

However, the Warriors never wavered and answered with a nine-play scoring drive, capped by a Mike Elgeness 17-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Brad Collins on fourth-and-goal.

Jabril Jones (16 carries, 42 yards) iced the outcome with a one-yard score with 4:38 to play. That was set up by a 33-yard run from Steve Frobel (12 carries, 72 yards).

After a scoreless first quarter, the Warriors chewed up clock and found the end zone on a 1-yard run from Mike McLean (12 carries, 32 yards) with 4:42 left in the opening half.

The touchdown capped a 15-play drive that lasted nearly nine minutes. That was the story of the first half for the Warriors, who had just three possessions but ran 35 plays and held the ball for 14 minutes.

The Hornets threatened to score on their first possession, running right down the field to the Willowbrook 16. They looked to take the lead, but had a 21-yard touchdown pass — on fourth down — called back on a penalty. The next pass was intercepted by Frobel.

The Warriors added three more points with 19 seconds left before halftime on Sean Dunn’s 28-yard field goal. It was set up following an interception by Elgeness one minute earlier.

Collins finished 10-of-17 passing for 91 yards. Elgeness hauled in four catches for 52 yards and Mike Kane caught five passes for 39 yards.