Revamped West Aurora offensive line shines in 25th annual ‘Battle of the Big Butts’ Lineman Challenge

West Aurora senior Kieran Duncan was initially a bit anxious about the “Battle of the Big Butts” lineman challenge.

After losing three seniors on the line that won three team competitions at 7-on-7s and led the Blackhawks to a 10-1 record a season ago, the two-year starting guard knew that there was a stigma about the team that was questionable at best.

So when Duncan walked away from the coveted event with three medals around his neck for the second straight season, it was definitely a sigh of relief.

“I already had confidence in my boys, but as ridiculous as it sounds, these medals mean something,” Duncan said. “It shows our athleticism on the line, and I’m really confident in how we’re going to do this year.”

The Blackhawks were one of 24 local teams competing in the 25th annual 7-on-7 lineman competition on Thursday, where teams of five players competed across eight different events on the day both as a team and as individuals.

West Aurora finished the day with four wins across seven team events on the day. The first-team of Duncan, senior Alphonso Aguilar, and juniors Bobby Frierson, Jayden Chavez and Elijah Pacheco won the tractor tire race, the five-man sled push and the medicine ball throw, while the second-team won the agility race.

“Me and Aguilar, we’ve been starters on the line for the past three years and he’s one of my best friends,” Duncan said. “And these upcoming juniors, they’re some dudes, and they’re hungry. And clearly, they’ve got the stuff and showed it out there across these events.”

The Blackhawks’ first team was a win away from their fourth win in the tug-of-war competition. However, Burlington Central’s first-team ended up pulling off the victory in the final to come away with first place.

“It was just straight diesel,” said Burlington Central senior Henry Crumlett, who was at the front of the Rockets’ side of the rope. “I feel like a million bucks.”

Also winning team challenges on the day was Wheaton North’s first team, which took the win in the bench press, and Marengo, who took first in the team 40-yard dash.

Five different individuals also took home a win across the events. But no lineman was more hyped than Oswego senior Khristopher Villalbazo, who won the coveted watermelon-eating contest.

“I’ve been looking forward to this since I knew about it back in my sophomore year,” Villalbazo said. “It was my last year, I knew I had to take it home.”

Villalbazo went up against seven other heat winners in the final round of the contest. After a minute of eating, with various watermelon chunks flying in multiple directions, the judges pointed at Villalbazo, who immediately started celebrating his victory.

“The judge just told me to keep it clean, so I tried taking as many big bites as I could while also keeping it in my mouth,” Villalbazo said. “I felt like I still had some stuck in my stomach from the round before, but I knew I had to get in that mode where I could win it then.”

Also winning the individual contests were DeKalb senior Owen Sisson (Bench press), Plainfield North senior Anthony Babino (40-yard dash), Naperville North senior Gabe Hill (Medicine ball throw) and Wheaton North junior Kai DeGroot (Agility race).