TITLE GAMES RETURN DeKalb County prepares to host IHSA Football State Championships
Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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JOIN OUR TEAM It takes a lot of hard work to get to the state championship. It takes the same determination to succeed in college, and we’re here to help you every step of the way. We offer the world-class education you need and the personal attention you want. We invite you to explore NIU.
3 IHSA FOOTBALL Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021 Shaw Media file photo
Lena-Winslow fans celebrate after the final play of the game against Tri-Valley during the 2013 IHSA Class 1A championship game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.
‘All roads lead to DeKalb County’ State championship games put spotlight on community, NIU By KATRINA J.E. MILTON kmilton@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Although Brad Hoey was looking forward to Thanksgiving, he was anticipating the two days after the holiday even more. The IHSA Football State Championships will take place Friday and Saturday, and this year, they will be held at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. Ticket prices are $15 each and can be purchased online or at the gate. Parking is free in NIU’s Convocation Center parking lot. “The IHSA state football championships are something we work on and look forward to for months, and we are very, very excited to have the championships back in DeKalb County this year,” said Hoey, the special projects manager for the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau. This year marks the fifth time NIU and DeKalb County will host the state’s high school football title games. The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
Folks here are very interested in keeping [the state championship games] in DeKalb County for years to come.” Brad Hoey, DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau hosts the event on even years. “Champaign-Urbana will host the championship in 2022 to make up for the year they lost hosting due to the pandemic, and hosting the championships will likely go out for bid again,” Hoey said. “Folks here are very interested in keeping it in DeKalb County for years to come.” The football state championships attract about 25,000 visitors to DeKalb County and contribute between $800,000 and $1 million to the local economy during the state championship weekend, Hoey said.
Cortney Strohacker, the executive director for the DCCVB, described the weekend’s economic impact to be similar to that of other multiple-day events in DeKalb County, including DeKalb Corn Fest, Sycamore Pumpkin Festival and the Sandwich Fair. “The championships are great for local tourism because athletes and their fans are stopping into restaurants, shops, gas stations and hotels,” she said. “It’s great just for the tourism aspect, bringing people in, but it’s also a nice time to show off our county, DeKalb and NIU.” Hoey said the weekend also is a great opportunity to expose students to NIU. “Every single athlete is a prospective NIU student, as well as their fans,” he said. “It’s a great recruiting opportunity for the university. What better way to showcase all that NIU has to offer like a tremendous experience like a state champion football game?” Hoey said that since the start of the football season in the summer, athletes have been preparing for #Destina-
tionDeKalb. “Every time they lace up their cleats and talk to their coach in the locker room, they’re preparing for postseason and the championship game,” he said. “Every time they win a game, it’s another step toward #DestinationDeKalb. Some of these teams have been working toward that goal all season long, and they will make it their reality in a week or so. All roads lead to DeKalb County for the championships.” There will be eight games of football played total, with Classes 1A through 4A playing Friday, Nov. 26, and Classes 5A through 8A playing Saturday, Nov. 27. “These teams had to play nine regular-season scheduled games and four playoff games before getting to the championships,” Hoey said. “Win or lose, they will always remember the state championship game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. We have pride in our hospitality and the welcoming environment that we create, and I think the fans very much appreciate it. We welcome them to DeKalb County.”
Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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Extraordinary players in extraordinary times VIEWS Kelsey Rettke It’s hard to believe it’s been two whole years since DeKalb County last welcomed thousands of eager spectators and 16 high school football teams to face off at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium. So much has happened since we last hosted the 2019 IHSA Football State Championships. On Friday and Saturday, the games will return to our community, marking the fifth time players, coaches, families and their supporters have trekked to DeKalb County to celebrate young athletes, cheer on teams and get a taste of what life in DeKalb is all about. It’s been a strange year and a half for these hardworking athletes. COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 fall season, and teams have played a shortened spring season and this fall’s season with the pandemic and its protocols still hanging over them. To that end, everyone has worked really hard to make this weekend happen. Although DeKalb County’s five high school football teams just missed the cutoff for the championship games this year, the players’ efforts (as with all the teams) deserve an extra round of applause. To the players: You’ve faced extraordinary circumstances unlike any other teams before you. You’ve left your best efforts on the field. It takes a grueling amount of dedication and force of will to be an elite high school football player, and with the added lens of the pandemic, you’ve already exceeded all expectations. You should be proud. To the coaches: You’ve mentored,
Mark Busch file photo – mbusch@shawmedia.com
East St. Louis celebrates its 2019 Class 6A state championship at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. The IHSA Football State Championships return to DeKalb this year. trudged on despite quarantines and COVID-19 testing, navigated pandemic-era practices and led your teams through to this week. Parents deserve equal accolades, as you’ve cheered your children on through the weight of the year’s challenges. We hope you enjoy yourself here in DeKalb. In preparation for this weekend, local volunteers and organizers have worked tirelessly and around the clock to ensure we’re ready to welcome neighbors to our college-town suburbs. The DeKalb area gets a chance to show off its hospitality, local restaurants will feed the masses, and crowds will get a chance to walk through the grounds of Northern Illinois University, a pillar in our community. It’s a strange world we live in these days, and many businesses, even while enduring staffing short-
ages, have been preparing around the clock to ensure guests experience the best DeKalb has to offer. Let’s show them a little love. That includes our committed team who work our 24/7 prep football website, FridayNightDrive.com. Live coverage of every game, photos, video, pregame analysis and more awaits football fans at that website. Access to FridayNightDrive.com is available for any Shaw Local subscriber, and if you want to see what all the fuss is about, head to www.shawlocal.com/ friday-night-drive/subscribe/. If you’re visiting DeKalb from far (or near) away this weekend, welcome. Need a list of local eateries to choose from? Head to cityofdekalb. com/foodie for a complete restaurant guide. If you’re not sure where to find parking at Huskie Stadium or a list of
what you’re allowed to bring inside, head to ihsadestinationdekalb.com, which includes maps, directions to the stadium and any other information you might need to navigate your stay. The weekend’s success is due to the collaboration of a great many local organizers from the City of DeKalb, NIU, the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the IHSA Destination DeKalb Host Committee and other local sponsors. It’s not too late to volunteer either, if you’re 18 or older and out of high school. To check out the options, go to ihsadestinationdekalb.com/volunteer/. Festivities wouldn’t be possible this weekend without the massive efforts of a lot of community volunteers who work ticket booths, parking lots, as ushers and in the tailgate area, the Spirit Zone. Each team gets its own tailgate tent in the Spirit Zone. Non-football players can get in on the awards, too, with accolades given for most spirited fans, and performances by cheer and dance teams, and bands. It’s a bit of an understatement to say it’s been a rough year-and-a-half for so many of these Illinois athletes. Go and watch them play, cheer on your teams, enjoy a weekend with friends and family. At $15 a ticket, it’s a pretty great way to unwind and witness the birth of some of these athlete’s collegiate or maybe even pro careers. In extraordinary times, it’s taken extraordinary efforts for teams to make it to Huskie Stadium in 2021. The pages of this section tell their stories, and we hope you read along with us. • Kelsey Rettke is editor of the Daily Chronicle. Write to her a krettke@shawmedia.com.
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STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM CAPSULES
Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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6 CLASS 1A Lena-Winslow Mascot: Panthers Conference: Northwest Upstate Illini Record: 11-2 Coach: Ric Arand (25th season, 219-66) Enrollment: 249 State championship appearances: 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019 State championship wins: 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 80.3 miles northwest Road to the finals: Beat Aurora Christian, 54-7; beat Forreston, 38-8; beat Fulton, 54-28; beat Ridgeview-Lexington, 28-12 Carrolton Mascot: Hawks Conference: Western Illinois Valley (South) Record: 12-1 Coach: Nick Flowers (19th year, 150-60) Enrollment: 198.5 State championship appearances: 2014 State championship wins: None Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 245 miles south-southwest Road to the finals: Beat Shelbyville, 47-7; Beat Greenfield-Northwestern, 14-6; beat Athens, 28-26, beat Central A&M, 28-14 CLASS 2A Nashville Mascot: Hornets Conference: Southern Illinois River-toRiver (Mississippi) Record: 12-1 Coach: Stephen Kozuszek (44-12, sixth year) Enrollment: 414.5 State championship appearances: 1998, 2019 State championship wins: None Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 290 miles south Road to the finals: Beat Mendon Unity, 48-20; beat Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin, 33-28; beat Pana, 43-19; beat St. Teresa, 37-35 Wilmington Mascot: Wildcats Conference: Illinois Central Eight Record: 13-0 Coach: Jeff Reents (29th year, 260-63) Enrollment: 413 State championship appearances: 2003, 2014 State championship wins: 2014 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 72 miles southeast Road to the finals: Beat Chicago Julian, 55-0; beat Newman Catholic, 42-7; beat McNamara, 45-25; beat Tri-Valley, 42-14 CLASS 3A Byron Mascot: Tigers Conference: Big Northern Conference Record: 13-0 Coach: Jeff Boyer (10th year, 86-23) Enrollment: 456
State championship wins: 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2008, 2016, 2019 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 275 miles south-southwest Road to the finals: Beat Riverside-Brookfield, 66-0; beat Oak Lawn Richards, 54-0; beat Lemont, 42-21; beat Crete-Monee, 54-13 Shaw Media file photo
Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb will host eight IHSA state championship football games Friday and Saturday. State championship appearances: 1999, 2018, 2019 State championship wins: 1999 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 37 miles west-northwest Road to the finals: Beat Catalyst/Maria, 58-0; beat Lisle, 34-14; beat Reed-Custer, 28-24, beat IC Catholic, 15-14 Tolono Unity Mascot: Rockets Conference: Illini Prairie Conference Record: 13-0 Coach: Scott Hamilton (28th year, 26264) Enrollment: 517 State championship appearances: 2000, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015 State championship wins: None Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 158 miles south-southeast Road to the finals: Beat Newton, 46-6; beat Paxton-Buckley-Loda, 21-14; beat Williamsville, 28-7; beat Mount Carmel, 28-21 CLASS 4A Joliet Catholic Mascot: Hilltoppers Conference: CCL/ESCC Orange Record: 13-0 Coach: Jake Jaworski (40-14, fifth year) Enrollment: 616.5 State championship appearances: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2018 State championship wins: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1987, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2018 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 51 miles southeast Road to the finals: Beat Marengo, 48-0; beat Wheaton Academy, 48-14; beat Genoa-Kingston, 42-7; beat Richmond-Burton, 35-18 Sacred Heart-Griffin Mascot: Cyclones Conference: Central State Eight Record: 12-1 Coach: Ken Leonard (39th year, 381-75) Enrollment: 607 State championship appearances: 1975, 1982, 1995, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 State championship wins: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 182 miles south-southwest Road to the finals: Beat Columbia, 49-13; bear Civic Memorial, 42-7; beat Breese Cen-
tral, 55-14, beat Rochester, 49-42 CLASS 5A Kankakee Mascot: Kays Conference: Southland Record: 13-0 Coach: Derek Hart Enrollment: 1,283.5 State championship appearances: None State championship wins: None Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 107 miles southeast Road to the finals: Beat Carbondale, 38-7; beat Morgan Park, 49-12; beat Marion, 44-38; beat Morton, 41-14 Fenwick Mascot: Friars Conference: CCL/ESCC White Record: 12-2 Coach: Matt Battaglia (second season, 15-4) Enrollment: 1,140 State championship appearances: None State championship wins: None Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 58 miles east Road to the finals: Beat Kaneland, 50-14, beat Boylan Catholic, 24-14; beat Nazareth, 28-17; beat Sycamore, 17-6 CLASS 6A Cary-Grove Mascot: Trojans Conference: Fox Valley Record: 13-0 Coach: Brad Seaburg (11th year, 118-20) Enrollment: 1,617.5 State championship appearances: 2004, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018 State championship wins: 2009, 2018 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 43 miles northeast Road to the finals: Beat Rockford East, 42-8; beat Grayslake Central, 55-27; beat Crystal Lake Central, 42-21; beat Lake Forest, 40-7 East St. Louis Mascot: Flyers Conference: Southwestern Record: 11-2 Coach: Darren Sunkett (19th year, 17752) Enrollment: 1,133 State championship appearances: 1974, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008, 2016
CLASS 7A St. Rita Mascot: Mustangs Conference: CCL/ESCC Green Record: 11-2 Coach: Todd Kuska (24th year, 206-90) Enrollment: 1,915.65 State championship appearances: 1978, 2006, 2019 State championship wins: 1978, 2006 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 70 miles east Road to the finals: Beat Rolling Meadows, 42-7; beat Geneva, 28-7; beat Hononegah, 36-16; beat Mount Prospect, 42-20 Wheaton North Mascot: Falcons Conference: DuKane Record: 12-1 Coach: Joe Wardynski (14th year, 92-51) Enrollment: 2,041.5 State championship appearances: 1979, 1981, 1986 State championship wins: 1979, 1981, 1986 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 36 miles east Road to the finals: Beat Larkin, 42-0; beat Hoffman Estates, 38-8; beat Willowbrook, 10-3; beat Brother Rice, 45-27 CLASS 8A Maine South Mascot: Hawks Conference: Central Suburban South Record: 12-1 Coach: David Inserra (21st year, 218-14) Enrollment: 2,383 State championship appearances: 1995, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 State championship wins: 1995, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 61 miles east Road to the finals: Beat New Trier, 51-7; beat Plainfield North, 21-18; beat Neuqua Valley, 14-13; beat Marist, 35-33 Lockport Mascot: Porters Conference: Southwest Suburban Blue Record: 12-1 Coach: George Czart (Third year, 20-8) Enrollment: 3,796.5 State championship appearances: 2002, 2003 State championship wins: 2002, 2003 Distance to the school from Huskie Stadium: 55 miles southeast Road to the finals: Beat Lockport, 35-10; beat Glenbard West, 34-0; beat Glenbard North, 28-22; beat Loyola Academy, 35-21
7 IHSA FOOTBALL Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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Lockport looks to finish historic run Porters playing in title game for first time since 2003
streak the Griffins hold against the Porters, but the Griffins recovered a late onside kick to seal the game. Lockport made easy work of its first two playoff opponents, defeating Lyons, 35-10, and Glenbard West, 34-0, respectively. The Porters snuck past Glenbard North, 28-22, in the quarterfinals before taking down the Ramblers in the semifinals. Apart from Timosciek leading the way in the passing game for the Porters, Danny Martisek has made an impression on both sides of the ball. In the team’s semifinal win against Loyola, the senior finished with 137 receiving yards and a touchdown while also intercepting two Loyola passes. Ty Schultz is the Porters’ lead running back. He finished with 88 rushing yards against the Ramblers, scoring two touchdowns. The senior had an even bigger day the week before, scoring all four of his team’s touchdowns against Glenbard North to help his team advance. The program now will try to win its third state championship when it takes on Maine South in the Class 8A title game Saturday at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. Coach George Czart is in his third season at the helm after taking over before the 2019 season, when the Porters finished 4-5 that year. The coach has been building the program up over the past three seasons. Lockport finished the spring season with a 4-2 record and carried that momentum into the summer and fall as the Porters have made their run to the state title game. Tony Gadomski for Shaw Media With such a successful program, Lockport’s Andrew Blackburn-Forst raises his helmet after Lockport defeated Loyola in a Class 8A Czart is excited with not only the possisemifinal playoff game Saturday in Wilmette. bility that his team could win its first state title in 18 years, but also show awarded the Griffins the Southwest scored late against Lincoln-Way East players around the area that they can Suburban Blue division title. Lockport to try and end the 17-game winning win at a program like Lockport.
By MICHAL DWOJAK
mdwojak@shawmedia.com Lockport is ready to party like it’s the early 2000s again. The Porters are heading back to the Class 8A state title game for the first time since 2003, when they won their second consecutive state title, the lone state titles in program history. Lockport advanced to the state title game after defeating top-seeded Loyola on the road, 35-21, in the semifinals. Senior quarterback Hayden Timosciek led the way for his team, throwing for 241 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s win. The Porters entered the 8A bracket as the No. 4 seed after finishing the regular season 8-1. Lockport started the season by shutting out four of its first five opponents and the defense held strong for much of the season, only allowing more than 13 points once in the regular season – Andrew scored 15 points against Lockport in the regular-season finale. Lockport only allowed one touchdown in its first five games. The Lockport offense didn’t struggle much either throughout the season. The Porters scored more than 40 points five times during the regular season, with the low coming against Lincoln-Way East later in the year. The offense finished the regular season averaging 24 points a game. The team’s lone loss in the regular season came against Lincoln-Way East in a 12-10 battle, which ultimately
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IHSA FOOTBALL Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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Fenwick coach comes home to NIU Battaglia was on Huskies’ offensive line from 2010-13, has Friars in first title game By EDDIE CARIFIO
ecarifio@shawmedia.com RIVER GROVE – After his Fenwick football team beat Sycamore on Saturday, center Jimmy Liston was so pumped for the win that he was ready to make it a doubleheader. “It feels exhilarating,” Liston said. “We’ve come this far to not back down yet. I can’t wait for next week already. I’m ready to play a whole other game right now.” The Friars qualified for the state championship game for the first time and will face Kankakee for the Class 5A title at 10 a.m. Saturday at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. For coach Matt Battaglia, it’s a return to a place he’s more than familiar with. Battaglia was an offensive lineman with the Huskies from 2010-13. “Going back home. I know that place in and out,” Battaglia said. “It will be fun to be back there.” After his team’s 17-6 win over Sycamore in a 5A semifinal, Battaglia said his team will handle the big stage at Huskie Stadium well. “They’ve done a great job of keeping things in perspective all year,” Battaglia said. “I think it’s going to be, once we hit that field – it could be field of dreams, it could be Huskie Stadium, Memorial Stadium, Soldier Field it doesn’t matter once we get between the white lines with these guys.” Battaglia said the team is trying to avoid the justhappy-to-be-here attitude, but that doesn’t mean players such as quarterback Kaden Cobb, who threw for 254 yards in the win against the Spartans, can’t appreciate what the Friars have accomplished. “It’s amazing. It’s the first time ever in Fenwick history we’ve made it to the state championship,” Cobb said. “Obviously we’re not done. But it’s just amazing.” Cobb also said he’s happy to make the run to the title game with this group of players. Although the Spartans were able to hold running back Danny Kent to 66 yards
Mark Busch – mbusch@shawmedia.com
Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia calls a timeout during his team’s Class 5A state semifinal game against Sycamore on Saturday at Triton College in River Grove. Fenwick will be playing in its first state championship game Saturday against Kankakee. on 22 carries, Cobb had deep passes to Max Reese and Bryan Hunt. Both Reese and Hunt had six catches in the win. “I’m just glad to play the quarterback role for this team,” Cobb said. “I’ve got the guys around me, they make plays. They make me look good sometimes. But it’s amazing. I’m glad to bring this to Fenwick, but we’re not done yet.” The Friars are in the final after playing three straight games decided by 11 points or less. They opened with a 50-14 win over Kaneland, then beat Boylan Catholic, 24-14. Before the win against the Spartans, they also beat Nazareth Academy by 11, 28-17. Kankakee, by comparison, has played only one onescore game, beating Marion, 44-38, in the quarterfinals. The Kays topped Morton, 41-14, in the other semifinal.
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Battaglia said the team is not done yet, playing a Kankakee team also searching for its first state title. “I know a lot of alumni were really invested in this game, but at this point we don’t care about just going to a state championship,” Battaglia said. “We have to keep our focus on not just we’re happy to be there. We have a goal that we marked before the season began, dating back to last spring, of winning a state title. So that’s going to be our focus.” Liston is committed to play his college ball at Purdue. He said the team has one more task to complete this year. “Fenwick has given me everything I’ve ever asked for, and it’s great to give them back this,” Liston said. “It’ll be even sweeter to give them back another win next week.”
Quick-scoring Hilltoppers play for 14th state title By JOE STEVENSON
joestevenson@shawmedia.com Richmond-Burton threw everything it had at Joliet Catholic in the first half, held the ball for almost 20 minutes and owned a three-point halftime lead. The Hilltoppers fumbled on their last possession of the half on R-B’s 2-yard line, which the Rockets recovered in the end zone. But two plays into the second half, everything felt better on the Joliet Catholic sideline. Running back Vinny Iannantone raced 64 yards for a touchdown, and the Hilltoppers never trailed again, imposing their will with their outstanding running game for four second-half touchdowns and a 35-18 Class 4A semifinal road victory Saturday. Joliet Catholic (13-0) advanced to the 4A state title game at 7 p.m. Friday at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com Stadium in DeKalb against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (12-1). The Hill- Joliet Catholic quarterback Aidan Voss (left) celebrates in midair with Vinny Iannantone during their Class 4A semifinal game Saturday at Richtoppers have a chance to win their mond-Burton in Richmond. Joliet Catholic won, 35-18, delivering R-B its first loss in three years. state-best 14th state championship. ing yards, while Illinois-bound Jordan an unbeaten season right where many “We just needed to finish,” Joliet I’m just excited. Anderson (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) rushed people expected them to be all year. Catholic quarterback Aidan Voss said. for 123 and two fourth-quarter touch“Our guys come to battle each and “Vinny had a turnover, and then he We’re ready. We downs. every day to practice, come from came back with that big run. We knew want to win state.” “It was a tough game,” defensive behind in games, they’re just built difthey couldn’t stop us on offense. We got end Jeremy Johnson said. “Our offense ferent,” Jaworski said. “I’m really the ball in the second half and exeAidan Voss, Joliet Catholic quarterback and defense came through. We were proud of them and happy they get this cuted.” down, but we came back like we did opportunity next week.” Hilltoppers coach Jake Jaworski against Brother Rice.” Joliet Catholic won the 2018 Class thought the start of the second half was get the lead and force them to play from The Hilltoppers have wins over 5A state title and now has a shot at two crucial. “You worry about if we didn’t go behind and get them out of their com- Brother Rice, a Class 7A semifinalist, championships in three postseasons. and Crete-Monee, a 6A semifinalist. “I’m just excited. We’re ready,” Voss down and score, them killing the clock fort zone. We were able to do that.” Iannantone finished with 119 rushThey now get a chance to complete said. “We want to win state.” again,” Jaworski said. “We wanted to
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IHSA FOOTBALL Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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Cary-Grove faces big challenge in 6A final By ALEX KANTECKI
akantecki@shawmedia.com Cary-Grove is making its sixth state championship appearance in team history (all since 2004), but will experience a first when the top-seeded Trojans (13-0) face No. 4-seeded East St. Louis (11-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday for the Class 6A state title. All of the Trojans’ past five trips to the state title game have been to Memorial Stadium in Champaign. This will be the first time that C-G plays for a state championship at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. “We’ve never been to DeKalb,” C-G coach Brad Seaburg said. “I think we will travel well, our fans will be there, and we’ll have another opportunity to try and get one more [state title]. It will be a challenge that we haven’t seen this year with the amount of talent that East St. Louis has, but we’ll put a good game plan together and give it our best. “Our kids are looking forward to the challenge.” The Trojans have had a dominant postseason run on both sides of the ball. All four of their games have ended with a running clock, including a 40-7 win against Lake Forest in the 6A semifinals. C-G’s starting offense has scored a touchdown on each possession except one, and the defensive starters haven’t allowed a touchdown in three of four postseason games. This year’s team is senior heavy, with a handful of those players being on the last C-G team to go to the state championship game in 2018. That team captured the program’s second state title (2009), defeating CreteMonee, 35-13. As freshmen three years ago, those players dreamed of putting themselves in a position to win the program’s third state championship. That will be a difficult challenge against East St. Louis, which started the playoffs with three straight shutouts. Both of the Flyers’ losses this year have come out of state to nation-
Gregory Shaver for Shaw Media
Cary-Grove’s Jameson Sheehan celebrates a touchdown during the first quarter of a Class 6A semifinal against Lake Forest on Saturday in Cary. C-G will face perennial state power East St. Louis in the 6A championship game Saturday in DeKalb. ally ranked teams. East St. Louis has a long history of success, winning nine state titles. The Flyers won the last 6A championship in 2019 (a 43-21 win over Prairie Ridge). Slowing down the Flyers and Missouri commit Luther Burden III will be a tall task, but one the Trojans are looking forward to. “Freshman year in 2018 I was there. And these past
three years, we’ve just been trying to get to DeKalb,” senior offensive lineman/linebacker Zach Petko said after beating Lake Forest. “State was always the goal. Winning a state championship is giving back to your community. That’s the goal right now. “If we play our best and we prepare this week, I definitely think we can win another state championship.”
It’s a family plan: East St. Louis ready for 1 more road trip By STEVE SOUCIE
ssoucie@shawmedia.com The East St. Louis football team doesn’t mind a good road trip. In fact, the Flyers have turned it into a bit of an art form. East St. Louis traveled to California and Mississippi this season to play national powerhouse programs in an effort to prepare itself for whatever the Illinois playoffs might throw its way. Those games led to the Flyers taking two losses and gave them a lower seed than the roster’s considerable talent warranted. As such, East St. Louis was forced to play on the road in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. No matter. Three consecutive trips north doesn’t seem to bother East St. Louis at all. In fact, that’s what the Flyers have been building to all along. “Don’t be opposition, be in position to make a great play. That’s what we focused on. We work hard,” junior running back Marquise Palmer said.
Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com
East St. Louis’ Luther Burden III powers his way through the line against Crete-Monee on Saturday in Crete. “We’re family. It’s a family plan.” In their semifinal victory over Crete-Monee, the Flyers were not
playing up to their capabilities early in the contest, trailing 7-6 at one point, and racking up penalty yard-
age in bunches, which negated a number of electric plays. But these things don’t seem to rattle the Flyers much. As if flipping a switch, East St. Louis rattled off three second-quarter touchdowns, including an jaw-dropping punt return touchdown from Missouri-bound standout Luther Burden, eventually turning a close game into a running-clock affair. That family plan gets East St. Louis right back to where it captured a state championship in 2019 in a Class 6A matchup with Prairie Ridge. The Flyers will face another Fox Valley Conference squad in Cary-Grove in the 2021 installment of the postseason. But the opponent doesn’t matter to the Flyers. There’s not an opponent in Illinois, or any other state, that they’d shy away from. It’s about reaching the final destination: Northern Illinois University on Thanksgiving weekend. The place that they’ve had mapped out for themselves all along.
By JOSHUA WELGE
jwelge@shawmedia.com ELMHURST – Byron coach Jeff Boyer was certain that his team could never top its thrilling quarterfinal win over Reed-Custer. He was wrong. A Byron team that spent the first 11 weeks of the season barely challenged has shown a knack for late magic to return to the Class 3A state championship game in DeKalb, which will take place at 4 p.m. Friday. Chandler Binkley’s 3-yard touchdown run on fourth down with five seconds left, and ensuing 2-point conversion run, capped Byron’s dramatic 15-14 comeback win over IC Catholic Prep in a Class 3A state semifinal Saturday. The Tigers, Class 3A runners-up in 2018 and 2019, are back in the final for the third straight time after wins the past two weeks in the final seconds. Binkley caught a TD pass from Braden Smith with 9.2 seconds left to beat Reed-Custer, 28-24, in the quarterfinals. On Saturday, Byron scored twice in the final 3:45 to stun IC Catholic, a three-time state champion from 2016-18. “I thought we could never have a finish like we did against Reed-Custer,” Boyer said after Saturday’s win. “Our kids topped it here tonight. Unbelievable.” Binkley, Byron’s all-state running back, is eager for a return to DeKalb – and surely motivated to erase the memory of the team’s last trip to Huskie Stadium.
Gary E. Duncan Sr. for Shaw Media
Byron’s Chandler Binkley dives for extra yards during Saturday’s Class 3A semifinal game against IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst. In the 2019 Class 3A final, Williamsville scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to erase what was a 10-point Byron lead in a heartbreaking 46-42 Tigers loss. The teams combined for 1,072 yards, an IHSA record. Binkley played linebacker and special teams for that Byron team. Byron tight end Max Connell, who scored a touchdown against IC Catholic, tight end Isiah Gooden, running back Ian Palzkill and fullback Andrew Claunch also were on the roster at state as sophomores. “The emotions of going back to DeKalb is awesome, feels great to be back and have another shot at winning a state title,” Binkley said. “We think
about that game a lot. Ever since being in high school, the goal at Byron is to win a state championship, and where me and I think only one other guy actually played in that game, the rest were on the sideline. But a lot of us looked up to those guys and had older brothers on that team where seeing them finish like that is something we want to do differently.” Boyer, in his 10th season as Tigers head coach, was Byron’s starting quarterback when the program won its only state championship in 1999. Byron’s defensive coordinator, Sean Considine, was the star of the 1999 team and played in college at Iowa before going on to an eight-year NFL career at safety, retiring shortly after winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. After a few lean years in the 2000s, Boyer has brought Byron back to dominance during the past decade, with semifinal appearances in the past four postseasons. The Tigers outscored regular-season opponents 417-91 this fall behind an effective wing-T offense led by Binkley. But after the past two weeks, they clearly aren’t fazed with playing from behind. After beating presumed Class 3A favorite IC Catholic – the 2019 Class 4A state champion – Byron plays Tolono Unity for the 3A title Friday. “[It] is the heart that these kids have,” Boyer said. “So proud of these guys. They never quit, and they showed that again. Everybody counted them out from the start and all they do is prove people wrong.”
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13 IHSA FOOTBALL Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
After another thriller, Byron back in DeKalb
Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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Lena-Winslow no stranger to Huskie Stadium By CODY CUTTER
ccutter@saukvalley.com The Lena-Winslow Panthers are an answer to many Illinois high school football trivia questions. One of them is: Which team won the first state football championship at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium? That’s what the Panthers did when the state finals came to DeKalb for the first time in 2013. They beat Downs Tri-Valley to win their second Class 1A title, to go along with their first from 2010 in Champaign. After two more titles on the Huskies’ turf in 2017 and 2019, and Saturday’s 28-12 semifinal win over the Ridgeview, the Panthers are looking for their fifth title, and fourth in DeKalb. They’ll face Carrollton at 10 a.m. Friday. “It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t our best game, but we had to battle, and we got it done,” two-way senior lineman Maddex Sargent said after Saturday’s win. “That’s all that matters.” Not only are the Panthers looking to add another title to their collection, so is the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference that they represent. The NUIC has dominated 1A in recent years, having won 11 state championships since 2003; the Panthers represent four of those wins, along with three from Forreston, two from Galena, and one each from Freeport Aquin and Dakota. The conference, which until 2019 played in two divisions, also has won three 2A titles in the same span. Adding championships is a point of pride for schools in the conference, and many fans from its schools often
Earleen Hinton – ehinton@shawmedia.com
Lena-Winslow’s Luke Benson intercepts a pass during Saturday’s Class 1A semifinal against Ridgeview in Lena. Lena-Winslow will go for its fifth state title Friday against Carrollton in DeKalb. support one another in attendance at the state finals, looking to bring a title up north. Even though senior two-way lineman Ross Stabenow didn’t see much action during the Panthers’ last go-around, the experience of being there was profound to him. “It’s a little overwhelming when you first get there,” Stabenow said. “You’re playing in a stadium instead of your small, little hometown, and playing in a D-I stadium. You can’t compare that atmosphere to anything,
there’s two entire small towns for 1A. Two whole towns, and the entire conference with them there, the atmosphere is unbelievable.” Marey Roby, Luke Benson and Sargent return to Huskie Stadium as starters for the second time. In the Panthers’ 2019 win over Central A&M, Roby rushed 10 times for 70 yards, returned a kickoff, and had three tackles; Benson was 3-for-5 passing for 100 yards, 66 coming in that game’s first score on a pass to Kade Christman; and Sargent at left tackle helped pave the way for 410 yards of offense. “It feels sweet, but we’ve got to continue to battle,” Sargent said. “We’ll work this week to put our best team on the field Friday morning.” Brady Eilders and Ethan Fye also saw playing time on the turf two years ago late in the game with two carries each, having mopped up the work that their starting counterparts achieved in the win. Because the end of the 1A game had fans from the 2A game start to trickle in, the crowd was larger in the end than during kickoff. “It’s a great field with a great atmosphere,” Roby said. “As big as it is, it gets loud surprisingly. It’s the state championship, and nothing gets better than that.” The Panthers, who made the semifinal round for the eighth time in 12 seasons, are coached by Ric Arand, who is 218-66 in 25 seasons at the helm. They have won 17 of their past 18 postseason games, the best run in the state since 2017. One more championship would hook the Panthers up with Driscoll, Newman, Rochester and Stillman Valley with five or more state championships among the smallest half of the state’s schools.
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By STEVE SOUCIE
ssoucie@shawmedia.com Wilmington didn’t make the playoffs in Jeff Reents’ first two seasons as head coach of the Wildcats. They qualified in Year 3 of his tenure, in 1996, and haven’t missed the field since. Nine assistants accompany Reents on the Wilmington staff: Barry Southall, Rob Murphy, Bobby Bolser, Chad Farrell, Drew Tyler, Mark Langusch, Mike Bushnell, Tom Fritz and Andy Peterson. Many of the group have been with Reents for most, if not all, of his run. Murphy, who was with the Wilmington program even before Reents’ arrival and has built a powerhouse wrestling program at the school, will retire at the end of the school year. Reents has won 250 games at Wilmington. His winning percentage of almost 80% is the third-best in the state among active coaches who have coached at least 15 years behind Rochester’s Derek Leonard and Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Ken Leonard. Reents always is quick to point out that the accomplishments of his program are not just his and his alone. “Our coaching staff does such a great
finals, we’re good,” Reents said. “It will be a new experience for us, and I’m happy for our program. A lot of people put in a lot of time and effort for this. I’m just happy for our community.” While Reents grappled with the emotion of qualifying for a state final for the third time in his coaching career, he was quick to recognize how fortunate he is to be granted the opportunity to make another run at the big prize. “When you get later in your career, you want to take advantage of opportunities, and this is an opportunity to go to state with a tremendous group of kids,” Reents said. “I don’t think a lot of people would have said this team was going to be in the state finals, and here we are. It never gets old, and we have a lot of work to do, but it’s setting in a little bit right Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com now.” Wilmington coach Jeff Reents walks the sideline against Tri-Valley during a Class 2A semifinal Fullback/linebacker Karsen Hansen Saturday in Wilmington. believed his team had something special going all the way back to the first workjob with game planning,” Reents said onship game appearances in Champaign out of the season. after his team’s 42-14 semifinal win over in 2003 (a 21-7 loss to Stillman Valley) “Actually, since the first practice, I Tri-Valley. “We’ve got another big one and in 2014 (a last-second, 20-17 win over thought this was a team that could go all coming up. But I’m really happy for our Williamsville). The fans certainly will the way,” Hansen said. “And we’re kids, our school and our community.” turn out in droves for Wilmington’s first doing that. We definitely have confiThat community has provided bois- appearance in a state final in DeKalb. dence, but we all know that its not going terous support for Reents’ Wildcats over “You can put the state finals wher- to be easy. We have to put in the work the years, which included state champi- ever you want. If we’re going to the state still.”
#PROUDLYDEKALB Welcome IHSA Football Championship Congratulations to all of the teams and their fans for making it to the 20 IHSA Football Championship! The City of DeKalb and our residents welcome you to our community. Before or after cheering on your team at Huskie Stadium, we hope you have the opportunity to explore Welcome IHSA Football Championship everything DeKalb has to offer, including the many dining options throughout the community. We have all the familiar favorites and a few restaurants we like to consider distinctly DeKalb. We know you will enjoy your visit and hope you have the chance to come back and visit us soon. DeKalb is host to many special events, a rich arts culture, and great entertainment. DeKalb is a year-round destination. Best of luck to your team! We hope everyone has a safe, enjoyable IHSA Football Championship. Big city amenities without the big city drive await you in DeKalb. Join us and become #PROUDLYDEKALB
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Contact: City of DeKalb City Manager at 815.748.2 bill.nicklas@cityofdekalb.com
IHSA FOOTBALL Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
Reents guides Wilmington back to finals
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Daily Chronicle/Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Nov 25, 2021
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