With a steady rain coming down, facing a 43-0 deficit and playing the defending Class 7A state champions, Willowbrook’s football team could have easily thrown in the towel.

That, though, is uncharacteristic of what the Warriors have been about this season.

Wayne Bolden scored on a 67-yard run on the second play of the third quarter and the No. 5 Warriors fought to the end before falling 43-7 to No. 4 St. Rita in an opening-round playoff game Friday night in Chicago.

“We played hard all the way though,” Willowbrook coach Mark Olson said. “I liked how we bounced right back in the second half and came out and scored. ... (The second half) was about showing some desire and our kids did that. There hasn’t been a game where we’ve given in or given up or not played hard all the way through and this was just the same.”

Things started off well for the Warriors. On the first play of the game, Willowbrook’s Ricky Draski recovered a St. Rita fumble.

The celebration, though, didn’t last long as the Warriors fumbled the ball right back on the next play. Four plays later, the host Mustangs found the end zone.

Throughout the rest of the first half, the Warriors fumbled three more times, had a punt blocked and returned for a score and were intercepted once. It all led to a 43-0 halftime deficit.

“We said that we needed to go out and make sure we didn’t turn the ball over,” Olson said. “The weather didn’t help but it’s the same for both teams.”

The running clock and a long Mustangs’ drive limited the Warriors’ offensive touches over the final two quarters.

After Bolden’s touchdown run, St. Rita held the ball for the next 13 minutes. The Warriors had once last chance, but were held out of the end zone on a fourth-down play at the goalline with a minute to play.

Bolden finished with 104 yards on eight carries, while Brandon Martinez added 31 yards on seven carries. Milton Colbert (37 yards) and Peter Bonner (31 yards) each caught two passes. Defensively, Jawon Smith and Ryan Mazgay each had fumble recoveries.