Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Mike Clark

Debating high school football’s upcoming decision on districts

2023-12-12T12:05:16.92-06:00

Nazareth’s Gabe Kaminski hits Joliet Catholic quarterback Andres Munoz in the Clas 5A state title game.

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Sycamore athletic director Chauncey Carrick is tired of hopping from one conference to another trying to find the right fit for his school’s football team.

So once again, he’s one of the point people for an IHSA proposal that would eliminate conferences for the sport.

“Obviously, I’ve felt this was the right moment [for districts] for a while,” Carrick said. “I put up the proposal about 10 years ago. This stemmed from some conference upheaval Sycamore had gone through. In the past five years, there have been two other conference realignments. Sycamore’s spot is, we’re trying to take football out of the equation.”

Hence the proposal that has generated plenty of strong feelings on both sides as IHSA schools hold their annual vote on by-law additions or changes. The balloting is underway now and ends at midnight on Dec. 18, with results expected to be announced the next day. A simple majority of schools voting is needed to enact changes, which would go into effect for the 2024-25 school year in most cases.

Most of the changes are uncontroversial, but Proposal 18 — which would move Illinois to a district scheduling format for football — is the exception.

It would divide the state’s football-playing schools into 64 eight-team districts, eight per class. Schools would play seven district games in Weeks 3-9 and would be able to schedule anyone they wanted for non-district games in Weeks 1-2.

IHSA administrators would be in charge of drawing up the district alignments, which would be based on geography.

A similar plan was approved in 2018 but was rescinded the next year before going into effect after intense blowback. Carrick also put forth a district plan a decade ago that wasn’t approved. This year’s proposal was submitted by Mahomet-Seymour athletic director Matt Hensley on behalf of the Apollo, Big 12, DuPage Valley and Interstate Eight conferences.

Hensley declined to comment and referred questions to Carrick, a longtime proponent of districts who knows the idea raises a variety of issues — some easier to address than others.

Among them: excessive travel and added costs for some schools in larger classes, the potential for widely varying competitive levels in districts and what to do if there are either too few or too many teams to fit the 512-school model.

Though the proposal doesn’t specifically address the latter issue, Carrick said the IHSA could deal with a shortfall of teams by creating seven-team districts in the same class next to each other and scheduling crossover games.

Another option would be to pull teams from the pool of non-playoff eligible Public League schools to fill the 512-team bracket. That’s the solution used by Friday Night Drive’s Steve Soucie, the state’s leading expert on IHSA football playoff brackets, when he drew up a potential district plan. His mock-up gave concrete examples of some of the proposal’s potential problems.

Class 8A’s District 8 stretches from Lockport to the Metro East region, with three St. Louis-area teams (Belleville East, Edwardsville and O’Fallon) joining five from the southwest suburbs (Joliet Central, Joliet West, Lockport, Minooka and Plainfield South).

“There’s going to be some travel in the 8A groups,” Carrick said. “We know that. What are you going to do? We did not have an answer for that. I’m not sure what the answer is.”

Edwardsville athletic director Amy Boscolo and football coach Kelsey Pickering have shared an open letter pushing back against districts, citing travel — and the likelihood of moving some games from Friday night to Saturday to lessen its impact — as a deal-breaker.

“Such extensive travel requirements would impose a significant financial burden on all our school districts, draining valuable resources that could be better allocated to educational and other athletic initiatives,” Boscolo and Pickering wrote. “Moreover, it’s not just the schools that will feel the strain; families and community supporters associated with our programs will also be affected by the added travel.”

Moving games to Saturday could lead to difficulty in scheduling officials and could prevent college prospects from making campus visits, Boscolo and Pickering pointed out.

Travel would be less of an issue, though, for other teams under the district proposal. Taft, projected to be in Class 8A District 3 by Soucie, would go from playing Public League games as far away as Gately Stadium on the Far Southeast Side to facing nearby suburban opponents Evanston, Glenbrook South, Leyden, Loyola, Maine South, New Trier and Niles West.

Taft coach Zach Elder acknowledges the step up in competition would be challenging. Loyola is the two-time defending 8A champ, Maine South owns multiple state titles and every school in the proposed district but Leyden is a perennial playoff contender.

“The first year or two, it may be rough,” Elder said. “[But] we’re here to get better. That doesn’t scare us.”

What does concern him is the lack of specifics in the proposal. And he’s sympathetic to those worried about increased travel.

“My biggest issue with it is there’s so many unknowns,” Elder said. “You’re being asked to vote on something, no one knows what it looks like. ... I get the idea, but when you actually put pen to paper, there are some trips that are just nonsensical.”

Rather than eliminating conferences and implementing districts, Public League sports chief David Rosengard would have preferred more discussion about what he acknowledges are legitimate concerns regarding football scheduling.

“I just wish people would instead of putting forth what is in their best interests, would look at the big picture,” Rosengard said. “I think there are ways to discuss how to solve some of these issues of scheduling. There are scheduling alliances that can be put together.”

If districts do happen, Rosengard foresees more problems popping up with Public League teams having to play more opponents from outside the city.

Stadium availability is a big concern. While some Public League schools have on-campus stadiums, many don’t — and most of the ones who do don’t have lighted fields. As it is, Public League games are played anytime from Thursday afternoons to Saturday nights.

Increased costs are another big concern under a district format.

“I’ve had principals of high-profile teams say, ‘We can’t afford that,’” Rosengard said. “‘I don’t care where they put us. We can’t budget for it.’”

One of the more vocal opponents to districts is West Aurora coach Nate Eimer, who sees the proposal as an existential threat to the future of prep football in Illinois. His concern is that if schools aren’t able to move between conferences to find the right competitive fit, many will simply drop football.

“One of my jobs as a football coach is to grow the game,” Eimer said. “If districts happen, he added, “I guarantee in five years [the number of football-playing schools] will go down to 450. In 10 years, it’ll be 400.”

He’s also worried about how lower-level games would be scheduled outside of a conference framework and about the increased travel burden for some teams. Plus, there’s the issue of implementing such a huge change in such a short timeframe.

“To ask the IHSA to put this together in three months, it’s insanity,” Eimer said. “It’s not a plan. It’s an idea that hasn’t been well thought out.

“It’s an attack on the growth of the game of football.”

Loyola beats St. Ignatius to continue its Jesuit Cup domination

2023-12-08T22:10:09.127-06:00

Loyola’s Miles Boland (25) react after winning the Jesuit Cup against Saint Ignatius at Gentile Arena.

Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times

Loyola fell into a big hole early, struggled from the three-point line and is still getting two-sport athletes from the state championship football team acclimated to basketball.

None of that mattered on Friday night, when the No. 25 Ramblers clawed their way back from 12 points down in the third quarter to beat St. Ignatius 40-37 in the Jesuit Cup game at Gentile Arena.

Andrew Hollerich scored a game-high 17 points for Loyola (7-2, 1-1 Catholic Blue), which is 10-1 in the last 11 Jesuit Cup meetings. Miles Boland added 10 points and five rebounds.

“This is the biggest game for us in the regular season,” Hollerich said. “This is the game we always look forward to and we prepare the most to play this game.”

Despite that, the Ramblers were down 11-0 to start the game, committing four turnovers before they scored a point.

There was no panic on the Loyola side though.

“You know what, we were really calm,” Ramblers coach Tom Livatino said. “[We said], ‘We’ve gotta figure it out.’ And they figured it out.

“So credit to the guys. ... The seniors wear this game as a badge of honor. It’s a really important thing.”

Loyola crept within 15-13 and was down 20-16 at halftime. But St. Ignatius (5-3, 0-1) started the third quarter with a 7-0 run and was up 30-18 after Reggie Ray’s driving basket at 4:44 of the third.

Then the Ramblers’ defense took over. The Wolfpack went 10:39 without a field goal. Loyola took its first lead, 32-31, on Hollerich’s three-pointer from the left wing with 6:51 left in the game. The Ramblers led the rest of the way.

“In the second half we started trapping a little bit more, we sped up the tempo a little bit,” Livatino said.

The Ramblers also went 10 deep in their rotation, subbing frequently when they went from offense to defense and vice versa.

“Our football guys — the reason we’re going offense, defense sometimes, it’s because they don’t even know what they’re doing,” Livatino said. “They don’t even know our sets. So we’ve got a long way to go.”

Case in point: the Ramblers shot 3-for-18 from beyond the arc.

But the defense got the job done, allowing the Wolfpack six points in the fourth quarter.

“It’s just what we do,” Boland said. “That’s what we practice, what we preach. At the end of the day, that’s what we knew it was going to come down to.”

Ray had 15 points for St. Ignatius and Phoenix Gill added 10 points and six rebounds. Miami football commit Justin Scott grabbed eight rebounds.

“I don’t think they changed a lot [as the game went on],” Wolfpack coach Matt Monroe said of the Ramblers. “They just run their stuff really well. One big change is they went to their 1-3-1 ... and we were expecting it but we didn’t adjust well to it. But we also went away from some of the things that had gotten us the lead in the first place.”

Fenwick wins the Battle of Oak Park, takes down the Huskies at the Chicago Elite Classic

2023-12-01T22:07:36.752-06:00

Fenwick’s Ty Macariola (21) reacts against Oak Park during the Chicago Elite Classic at UIC.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Fenwick’s Ty Macariola plays with no fear and loads of passion.

The 6-1 junior’s game is to drive to the basket over and over. The results are almost always good: a basket or a trip to the free-throw line, where he’s pretty much automatic.

So it was on Friday, when Macariola scored a game-high 26 points as the Friars beat local rival Oak Park 56-47 in the Chicago Elite Classic at Credit Union 1 Arena.

The matchup is one of the fixtures of the annual event, bringing out huge student sections for both schools: Oak Park’s a sea of orange and Fenwick’s almost all wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and Santa hats.

Macariola has been coming to the CEC for years, so to be the star of the latest installment of the rivalry was surreal.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment all my life,” he said.

One of his greatest basketball memories was from a night when he was sitting in the Fenwick student section with his cousin and Bryce Hopkins hit a game-winner for the Friars.

“I remember falling like, three rows,” Macariola said. “It was huge.”

Ditto for his performance on Friday. Macariola hit 6-for-10 from the floor and made all 13 of his free throws as Fenwick (4-2) led almost all the way.

He credits his relentless style to the influence of his father. “He’s one of the hardest-working people I know,” Macariola said. “And he’s always telling me to give 100%.”

“Ty is a true warrior, a true winner,” Fenwick coach David Fergerson said. “He leaves nothing in the tank. He plays that hard and he’s in the moment.”

The Friars also had big games from 5-6 junior guard Deonte Meeks and 6-5 junior forward Nathaniel Marshall, a Power Five football prospect.

Meeks had a key steal and, after being fouled, hit two free throws to push Fenwick’s lead to 52-41 with 1:17 left. He finished with 11 points, while Marshall made all six of his free throws, scored nine points, grabbed seven rebounds and added three assists, a steal and a block.

“I always tell him, ‘You’re the little engine that could,’” Fergerson said of Meeks. “I mean, ‘You’re the smallest dude on the court but you’ve got to make the most noise.”

Marshall, meanwhile is one of the biggest dudes on the court.

“Nate, he’s a professional athlete playing high-school sports right now,” Fergerson said. “Not every team has that.”

Fenwick fans cheer during the game against Oak Park at the Chicago Elite Classic.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The win was a big bounceback for the Friars, who lost 55-25 to No. 5 Mount Carmel on Tuesday.

“It was a humiliating loss,” Macariola said. “We all knew that we were better than that, and we came out super sluggish. Coach, in practice the last few days, kept reminding us of that loss and that we had to bring the energy for this huge rivalry game.”

Oak Park (3-2) had 12 points each from Max Johnson and Alex Vincent. Alex Gossett had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

“I thought we would come back like we did last year,” Huskies junior Justin Bowen Jr. said. “But I started cramping up, my body started shutting down on me. That’s my fault, I blame that on myself.”

Still, it’s been an encouraging start for the Huskies.

“Our chemistry, the way we play and everything feels way better than last year,” Bowen said. “We want to show the state that we’re here and we can really compete with everybody else.”

St. Rita beats Kenwood to win 93rd Prep Bowl

2023-11-24T18:10:50.613-06:00

St. Rita’s DJ Stewart (17) scores a touchdown against Kenwood.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

On a cold, gloomy afternoon at Lane, yards were hard to come by.

Except for St. Rita senior DJ Stewart.

Stewart rumbled 41 yards for a touchdown on his first carry and added two more scores as the Mustangs beat Kenwood 21-7 in the 93rd Prep Bowl.

Stewart finished with 25 carries for 143 yards in a game dominated by the defenses. St. Rita (8-5) didn’t complete a pass, and the Broncos were limited to 84 total yards. Kenwood (8-5) also had six of the eight turnovers in the game.

Through it all, the 6-foot, 217-pound Stewart kept grinding out the yards.

‘‘That game just summed up DJ’s career,’’ first-year Mustangs coach Martin Hopkins said. ‘‘He’s been a workhorse for us. He just gets the ball, puts his head down and goes. I tell everyone, ‘You chip away at a rock a hundred times, and it might not break till the hundredth time.’ That’s what he did, and it’s great to see him end his career like that.’’

St. Rita and Kenwood were knocked out of the IHSA playoffs by teams playing for the Class 7A title Saturday. The Mustangs lost 39-10 to Mount Carmel, and the Broncos fell 42-13 to Downers Grove North.

But St. Rita was able to refocus, run off three more victories and earn its ninth Prep Bowl title overall and first since 2018.

‘‘We just came in after we lost to Mount Carmel, and we wanted to have physical, fast practices,’’ Stewart said. ‘‘High energy, to keep the juniors and sophomores up.’’

Stewart’s second touchdown run, a two-yarder, came after Kenwood’s first turnover and made it 14-0 midway through the first quarter. His third scoring run, from five yards, came on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Up next for Stewart is sorting out his college plans. He has six scholarship offers, including from Drake and Valparaiso. The early-signing period starts Dec. 20, and he hopes to decide around that time.

The Broncos scored on Kevari Thunderbird’s 17-yard pass to Patrick Clacks III, a senior transfer from Indiana whose offers include Iowa, Nebraska and California.

St. Rita poses for a photo with mayor Brandon Johnson after winning the Prep Bowl against Kenwood at Lane Stadium.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

But edge rusher Ray Saffold and the rest of the Mustangs’ defense kept the lid on Kenwood’s offense the rest of the way. Going against Stewart was good preparation.

‘‘Being able to practice against him every day gave good looks for the defense,’’ Saffold said.

The Broncos, playing in their second Prep Bowl in three years, used three quarterbacks. Coach Sinque Turner said starter NaCari McFarland might have injured his throwing hand early in the game.

‘‘He was out of rhythm a little bit today,’’ Turner said. ‘‘I noticed he was just not looking like himself.’’

Thunderbird, one of the top baseball prospects in the state as a left-handed pitcher, split the remaining quarterback snaps with Michigan-bound receiver I’Marion Stewart, who lined up in a wildcat formation.

‘‘We’ve got to get right back to our offseason plan,’’ Turner said. ‘‘We’ve got to change a couple of things so we’re going to end up with different results for next year.’’

2023 Chicago Sun-Times All-Public League football team

2023-11-22T12:33:58.977-06:00

Young’s Anthony Hood (3) runs the ball against Kenwood.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

As the football season went on, Young was winning games but not really clicking on offense.

“We identified that we were struggling to run the ball . . . and we were doing OK throwing it, but not well enough,” Dolphins coach Dan Finger said.

Enter senior Anthony Hood, one of the Dolphins’ four All-Public League first-team selections and their only All-State pick.

Hood already was a starting wide receiver. But Finger and his staff saw him taking on a bigger role to solve Young’s offensive problems.

“We were looking to get somebody back there who could run it as a quarterback,” Finger said. “The most difficult thing to defend is when the kid can really throw it, but especially when he can run it, as well.”

With Hood playing the bulk of the snaps at quarterback down the stretch, the Dolphins put together one of the best seasons in program history. Young tied for second in the top-tier Public League Red, went 9-4 and reached its first Public League final before falling 26-19 to Kenwood last week.

Hood finished as the Dolphins’ leader in rushing yards (508) and receiving yards (395), passed for another 295 yards with a 100.6 passer rating and accounted for 13 touchdowns. That’s despite missing one game with a foot injury.

He credits Young’s staff for putting him in a position to succeed.

“I think I fit well into the system,” Hood said. “I’m glad that my coaches trust me to just throw me out there and play ball.”

Hood made his occasional passes count.

“I was always able to throw the ball a little bit,” he said. “Our coaches see that whenever I’m at quarterback, teams just flood down, and [defensive backs] miss their assignments and just ignore the throw.”

Hood came to football later than most, picking up the sport with the Windy City Dolphins youth program as a 12-year-old after dabbling in baseball, gymnastics and wrestling.

“Once I found football, I just fell in love with it and ran with it,” he said.

As with a lot of high school players in the transfer-portal era, recruiting has gone slowly for Hood. But Finger is confident someone will take a chance on the versatile 6-1, 196-pounder with speed and a surprisingly big arm. Some elite FCS programs are in the mix.

“South Dakota State really likes him [and] Illinois State,” Finger said. “He’s going to play in college, for sure. It’s just the level and where [to be determined].”

Joining Hood on the 26-member All-Public League first team are three teammates: offensive lineman Babanifesimi Opadele, linebacker Joseph Clayton and kicker/punter Solomon Bradley.

Public League Red champ Morgan Park leads the way with six first-teamers: running back Keshawn Lewis-Hunt, wide receiver Chris Durr, athlete Tysean Griffin, offensive lineman Josh Johnson, linebacker Jovan Clark and defensive back Ahmad Grayer.

Kenwood, which plays St. Rita in Friday’s Prep Bowl, has four first-team picks: wide receiver I’Marion Stewart, offensive lineman Russell Cunningham, defensive lineman Marquise Lightfoot and defensive back Mako Grant.

Simeon also has four first-teamers in offensive lineman Sean Goodrum, defensive linemen Mikeshun Beeler and Christopher Burgess Jr. and defensive back Dewayne Brooks.

Rounding out the team are Perspectives kick returner Tyrell Lockett and linebacker Justin Harris, Westinghouse quarterback Askia Bullie, Taft running back Jaiden Padilla, Lane offensive lineman Oliver Sevig, Amundsen defensive lineman Derrick Weems, Dyett linebacker Terrance Weatherspoon and Phillips defensive back Desean Logan-Russell.

The All-Public League football team was selected by a committee of Public League coaches and administrators.

2023 All-Public League Team

Offense

QB Askia Bullie, Westinghouse, Sr.
RB Keshawn Lewis-Hunt, Morgan Park, Sr.
RB Jaiden Padilla, Taft, Jr.
WR Chris Durr, Morgan Park, Sr.
WR Anthony Hood, Young, Sr.
WR I’Marion Stewart, Kenwood, Sr.
ATH Tysean Griffin, Morgan Park, Sr.
OL Sean Goodrum, Simeon, Sr.
OL Babanifesimi Opadele, Young, Sr.
OL Oliver Sevig, Lane, Sr.
OL Russell Cunningham, Kenwood, Sr.
OL Joshua Johnson, Morgan Park, Sr.
K/P Solomon Bradley, Young, Sr.
KR Tyrell Lockett, Perspectives, Sr.

Defense

DL Marquise Lightfoot, Kenwood, Sr.
DL Mikeshun Beeler, Simeon, Sr.
DL Derrick Weems, Amundsen, Jr.
DL Christopher Burgess Jr., Simeon, Sr.
LB Jovan Clark, Morgan Park, Jr.
LB Terrance Weatherspoon, Dyett, Sr.
LB Justin Harris, Perspectives, Jr.
LB Joseph Clayton, Young, Sr.
DB Ahmad Grayer, Morgan Park, Sr.
DB Mako Grant, Kenwood, Jr.
DB Dewayne Brooks, Simeon, Sr.
DB Desean Logan-Russell, Phillips, Sr.

Second Team

Offense

QB Marcus Thaxton, Morgan Park, Jr.
RB Herschel Willie, Phillips, Sr.
RB Quincy Robinson, Corliss, Sr.
WR Leavell Windfield Jr., Westinghouse, Sr.
WR Nasir Rankin, Young, Sr.
WR Patrick Clacks III, Kenwood, Sr.
OL Ralph Love III, Westinghouse, Sr.
OL Amarje Devine, Clark, Sr.
OL Jacob McGee, Phillips, Sr.
OL Nic Koutsonicolis, Payton, Sr.
OL Nikola Dale, Young, Sr.
ATH Treyshun Green, Phillips, Sr.
ATH Cordero Jenkins, Johnson, Sr.
K Isa Katz, Payton, Sr.
P Humberto Velazquez, Prosser, Sr.

Defense

DL Diesel McFadden, Taft, So.
DL Anthony Brooks, Clark, Sr.
DL Renard Willis, Phillips, Sr.
DL Ivan Moore Jr., Kenwood, Sr.
LB Camren Caldwell, Simeon, Sr.
LB Steven Wilson, Morgan Park, Sr.
LB Luke Yolich, Young, Sr.
LB Anthony Spivey, Clark, Sr.
DB John Norton, Amundsen, Sr.
DB Xzavier McGruder, Simeon, Sr.
DB Quinn Duhon, Young, Sr.
DB Steven Tantchev, Taft, Sr.

Honorable Mention

QB Joseph Winslow Jr., Phillips, Sr.
QB Earnest Rice, North Lawndale, Sr.
ATH Jeremiah Parks, Perspectives, Sr.
ATH Ares Boelter, Hubbard, Sr.
DB Jayden Harris, Taft, Sr.
DB Stephen Carrera, Taft, Sr.
DB Jerell Brenston, Perspectives, Sr.
DL Sean Brown, Chicago Military, Sr.
DL Samadre Hobson, Englewood, Sr.
LB Kevin Gaytan, Chicago Academy, Sr.
LB Elijah Ramos, Lincoln Park, Sr.
LB Clarence Davis, Goode, Sr.
LB Jamarion Massey, Hansberry, Sr.
LB Yahweh Anderson, Rauner, Sr.
OL Joshua Mam, Taft, Sr.
OL Devin Willis, Corliss, Sr.
RB Keshawn Tuggle, Ag. Science, Sr.
RB James Canty, Vocational, Sr.
WR DeShaun Wright Jr., Johnson, Sr.
WR Steven Williams, Comer, Sr.
WR Lavelle Hardy, Crane, Sr.

Joliet Catholic beats rival Providence to clinch a spot in its 20th state title game

2023-11-18T20:37:29.764-06:00

Joliet Catholic’s Andres Munoz (5) rolls out and then runs to score a touchdown.

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Joliet Catholic has been playing for and winning state championships since the dawn of the state-playoff era in the 1970s.

Coaches and players come and go, but the formula has remained pretty much the same: play opportunistic defense and run the ball effectively.

The Hilltoppers are headed back to state for the 20th time, seeking to add to their Illinois High School Association record of 15 titles, after holding off Will County rival Providence 31-21 in a Class 5A semifinal Saturday afternoon at Joliet Memorial Stadium. Joliet Catholic plays defending 5A champ Nazareth at 10 a.m. next Saturday at Hancock Stadium in Normal.

This Joliet Catholic team does many of the same things right as its predecessors. But it also has a dimension not often seen: a potent passing game directed by quarterback Andres Munoz.

The senior was 6-for-8 passing for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran for a TD as the Hilltoppers (10-3) built a 28-6 halftime lead. HJ Grisgby provided the tough yards on the ground, running 26 times for 130 yards. And Joliet Catholic’s defense had six takeaways from six different players.

But Munoz’s throws were the X-factor. The Hilltoppers were alternating quarterbacks earlier in the season, but the job is all Munoz’s now.

“We wanted to figure some things out,” Joliet Catholic coach Jake Jaworski said. “And the one thing we just kept coming back [to] is [Munoz is] just competing game in, game out. Taking some big hits but making some big throws at some key times and taking care of the football.

“The opportunities to throw may not be what they are at some other programs. But he’s throwing for touchdowns.”

Munoz, who credited the Hilltoppers’ defense for setting up the offense with good field position, said it was just a matter of time before the passing game started clicking.

“Just from the beginning of the season, it was kind of hard to get everyone rolling and on the same page,” he said. “You could totally see the potential of our team, [but] nothing was rolling at the time.”

Joliet Catholic spotted Providence (8-5) a 6-0 lead on sophomore quarterback Leo Slepski’s 52-yard TD pass to Xavier Coleman at 8:11 of the first quarter. But then the Hilltoppers took advantage of four Celtics turnovers to run off the next 28 points and take control.

Munoz had scoring passes of 12 yards to Larry Stringham and 31 yards to Adrian Washington. He also scored on a four-yard keeper and Stringham ran two yards for a TD.

Meanwhile, the Joliet Catholic defense was getting fumble recoveries by Nico Ronchetti (who also blocked a PAT) and Zach Pomatto along with interceptions by Conner O’Donnell and Tai Sesta. Daniel Rouse had a fumble recovery and Anthony Brown picked off a pass in the second half. Up front, Wisconsin-bound lineman Dillan Johnson was drawing double-teams and allowing his defensive teammates to make plays.

The Hilltoppers had 11 takeaways in two games against the Celtics this season; they had five in a 19-0 shutout in Week 2. This year’s two wins erased some of the bad memories of last year’s 24-14 playoff loss to Providence that ended Joliet Catholic’s season.

“Last year really impacted us,” Rouse said. “It stuck hard. It’s great to come back. We really had a chip on our shoulder.”

Providence got a one-yard TD run from Jamari Tribett in the third quarter, but Patrick Durkin’s 37-yard field goal pushed JCA’s lead to 31-14 entering the fourth.

The Celtics did make it interesting, getting a two-yard TD run by Coleman with 8:09 left and recovering the ensuing onside kick. But the Hilltoppers forced a turnover on downs and had Brown’s interception on Providence’s final two drives to seal the win.

Slepski finished 15-for-29 for 185 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

“Zach Dolph, our defensive coordinator, and his defensive staff have had a great unit all year,” Jaworski said. “And we’ve got to ride them one more time.”

Previewing the top high school football state semifinals

2023-11-17T12:56:14.214-06:00

York’s Sean Winton (4) passes the ball during the game against Downers Grove North.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Class 8A: No. 5 Barrington at No. 3 Lincoln-Way East, 1 p.m. Saturday

Something has to give, and not just because both teams are 12-0. Barrington, seeking its first trip to the finals in 25 years, has a high-flying offense averaging 37.3 points a game. Among the playmakers are quarterback Nick Peipert (3,017 total yards, 37 total TDs, three interceptions), running back Dillon Fitzpatrick (1,525 yards, 23 TDs) and receivers Will Nazha (51 catches, 954 yards, eight TDs) and Matt Marusich (41 catches, 824 yards, 15 TDs). And edge rusher Devan Van Ness has 16 sacks. Lincoln-Way East, chasing its fourth state-finals berth since 2017 and second straight, has shut out its last four opponents and hasn’t given up more than 14 points in a game all season. Linebacker Conner Durkin and edge rusher Caden O’Rourke lead that unit, while quarterback Braden Tischer and running back Nuri Muhammad are go-to players on offense.

8A: No. 6 York at No. 1 Loyola, 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Marquee)

York (11-1) has never played for a state title, but the Dukes have been one of the state’s rising programs in recent years under coach Mike Fitzgerald. The offense averages 35 points a game and features the program’s single-season passing and rushing leaders (Sean Winton and Jake Melion), along with speedy receiver Luke Mailander. Three-star lineman Joseph Reiff, a Notre Dame commit, and linebacker Cole Ostendorf anchor the defense. Loyola (12-0) is in the semifinals for the 12th time since 2009. Junior quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald leads a potent offense that also features backs Drew McPherson and Finley Miller along with a deep receivers group that includes Nicholas Arogundade.

Class 7A: No. 4 Batavia at No. 2 Mount Carmel, 4 p.m. Saturday (CW 26)

It’s the third straight year these teams have met in the playoffs, with Mount Carmel winning both: 16-14 in the 2021 second round and 44-20 last year in the Class 7A title game, Quarterback Ryan Boe has completed 66% of his passes for 2.670 yards and 29 touchdowns with just two interceptions for Batavia (11-1), and he also has run for 10 TDs. Charlie Whelpley has 1,241 total yards and 13 TDs, while linebacker Ben Fiegel (105 tackles, 12 tackles for loss) leads the defense. Mount Carmel (11-1), seeking its third state title in four postseasons, has a potent offense led by running back Darrion DuPree (Wisconsin) and quarterback Jack Elliott. Linebacker Parker Startz (Ohio) leads the defense.

Class 5A: No. 8 St. Francis at No. 18 Nazareth, 1 p.m. Saturday

These teams are playing for the second time in four weeks; St. Francis (10-2) won 35-17 at Nazareth in Week 9, nearly derailing the defending Class 5A champs’ playoff hopes. But the Roadrunners (7-5) squeaked into the 256-team field as one of six 4-5 teams and have been rolling since, eliminating Prairie Ridge, Glenbard South and Carmel. Three-year starting quarterback Logan Malachuk and edge rusher/receiver Gabe Kaminski are two Nazareth players to keep an eye on. St. Francis quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (Ball State) is arguably the state’s best quarterback, completing 74% of his passes for 3,102 yards and 36 TDs with four interceptions, and running for 310 yards and nine scores.

5A: No. 18 Providence vs. No. 17 Joliet Catholic at Joliet Memorial Stadium, 2 p.m. Saturday

This is the fourth meeting between these Will County rivals in 14 months. Joliet Catholic has won both regular-season games, but Providence prevailed 24-14 in last year’s playoffs en route to a runner-up finish in Class 4A. Leo Slepski ran for one touchdown and had a 90-yard pass-and-run to Justus Stepp for Providence (8-4) last week against Highland. In last week’s 49-7 win over previously unbeaten Morris, Joliet Catholic (9-3) had a big game from junior Keegan Farnaus (301 total yards, four TDs).

‘Magic happens’ as Loyola strikes quickly and takes down St. Ignatius

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Loyola’s Nicholas Arogundade (85) celebrates with Ryan Fitzgerald (15) after Fitzgerald’s touchdown against St. Ignatius.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Even in the biggest and deepest receiver room in the state, Loyola senior Nicholas Arogundade keeps finding ways to stand out.

Arogundade found himself wide-open on the first play from scrimmage Saturday against St. Ignatius. Quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald’s pass was on target, and Arogundade was off to the races for an 80-yard touchdown only 12 seconds into the Class 8A quarterfinal.

Fitzgerald and Arogundade teamed up for another touchdown, this time for 54 yards, late in the second quarter of No. 1 Loyola’s 41-7 victory against No. 20 St. Ignatius. The defending Class 8A champion Ramblers will play York in the semifinals.

Entering the game, Loyola had 20 players who had caught at least one pass and nine who had a touchdown reception. The leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions was Arogundade.

Why is he No. 1? Size, speed and effort, among other things.

‘‘It really started with the work he did in the offseason,’’ Loyola coach Beau Desherow said of the 6-2, 175-pounder. ‘‘Then over the summer, when we had our 25 days of prep, he just kept getting better and more confident. He’s a very good route-runner, he’s a student of the game [and] he watches a ton of film.’’

The opening touchdown was no accident. Loyola wanted the ball first and wanted to make an early statement.

‘‘We knew we were going to go at it on that first play,’’ Desherow said. ‘‘We wanted to set the tone. We wanted to score early.’’

Arogundade said the Wolfpack gave the Ramblers the defensive look they expected, then it was just a matter of executing the play.

‘‘We wanted to start out slow, make it seem like a run, draw them down,’’ Arogundade said. ‘‘They bit for it, I got over the top and magic happens.’’

‘‘Yeah, he was wide-open and just faster than everyone,’’ said Fitzgerald, who was 5-for-5 for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

Fitzgerald appreciates all the pieces of Loyola’s offense, which besides all those receivers features two capable running backs in Drew McPherson and Finley Miller. McPherson had 13 carries for 84 yards, including touchdown runs of nine and 10 yards. Miller had eight carries for 54 yards and a touchdown, and Fitzgerald ran eight times for 57 yards and a touchdown.

‘‘Our whole offense is dangerous,’’ Fitzgerald said. ‘‘With Drew, Will [Carlson], Mikey [Baker], [Brendan] Loftus — all those guys are dangerous. But with me and Nick, it’s just feeling that connection.’’

Loyola scored on five of its six first-half possessions to open a 34-0 lead, then scored on its first series of the third quarter to trigger a running clock.

St. Ignatius (8-4) started 2-3 but had won six games in a row after moving up from Class 6A to Class 8A this season and winning the CCL/ESCC Green.

The Wolfpack have leaned on Justin Scott, a 6-4, 310-pound lineman who is committed to Ohio State and is the 12th-ranked senior in the country, according to 247Sports. Scott even has been used at fullback lately. But St. Ignatius coach Matt Miller said Scott has been dealing with nagging injuries, and his playing time was limited Saturday (though he did block an extra point).

‘‘There was definitely a point early in the season when we were all pretty worried and frustrated,’’ Miller said. ‘‘[Now] we feel like we belong.’’

But this game showed Miller that the Wolfpack still have work to do to become competitive with teams such as Loyola.

‘‘In January, that game was won,’’ he said. ‘‘We just got out-physicaled everywhere — on the inside, on the outside. We’ve got a lot of work to do.’’

Previewing the top high school football state quarterfinals

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Morris’s Jack Wheeler (27) shows a little swagger after scoring a 70-yard touchdown as he celebrates with A.J. Zweeres (1).

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Class 8A: No. 3 Lincoln-Way East at No. 12 Warren, 7 p.m. Saturday

Lincoln-Way East (11-0) is seeking its fifth trip to the semifinals since 2017. The Griffins have a savvy veteran quarterback in Braden Tischer and a productive back in Nuri Muhammad. And the offense doesn’t have to light up the scoreboard, thanks to a defense that hasn’t allowed more than 14 points and has shut out its last three opponents. Junior edge rusher Caden O’Rourke, whose scholarship offers include Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern, is a playmaker. Warren (9-2) has won nine in a row after opening with losses to fellow quarterfinalists Barrington and Maine South. As usual, the Blue Devils play tough defense (eight points per game allowed during their winning streak) and run the ball well with sophomore Aaron Stewart (1,446 yards, 15 TDs) and senior Donovan McNeal (941 yards, 23 TDs).

8A: No. 5 Maine South at No. 6 Barrington, 5 p.m. Saturday

Maine South (10-1) lost starting quarterback Jack DeFilippis in the first half of a 10-7, season-opening loss to Brother Rice. Constantine Coines stepped in and has helped the Hawks win 10 in a row since. Junior Michael Dellumo has been a productive back running behind a line anchored by junior Zak Stoilov. Barrington (11-0) has a nicely balanced offense led by quarterback Nick Peipert (2,301 yards, 30 TDs, three interceptions) and running back Dillon Fitzpatrick (1,481 yards, 22 TDs). The Broncos have a knack for winning the close ones, going 5-0 in one-possession games.

Class 5A: No. 11 Morgan Park at No. 10 St. Francis, 12:30 p.m. Saturday

Morgan Park (10-1), the last Public League team standing in the IHSA bracket, is looking for its first semifinal berth since 2004 and second overall. The Mustangs came from 11 down at halftime last week to beat Sycamore and have a productive offense led by quarterback Marcus Thaxton, running back Keshawn Lewis-Hunt and Wyoming-bound receiver Chris Durr. Illinois commit Tysean Griffin, Jovan Clark and Jahmere Washington lead one of the best secondaries in the area. St. Francis (9-2) has one of the premier quarterbacks in the state in Ball State commit Alessio Milivojevic (2,935 yards, 75% completion rate, 41 total TDs, four interceptions), along with a dynamic back in Tyvonn Ransom (1,218 yards, nine TDs).

5A: No. 19 Nazareth at No. 13 Carmel, 2 p.m. Saturday

Defending Class 5A champ Nazareth (6-5) was one of six 4-5 teams to squeak into the 256-team IHSA playoff bracket. The Roadrunners knocked out previously unbeaten Prairie Ridge in the first round, then shut out 9-1 Glenbard South last week. Three-year starting quarterback Logan Malachuk leads the offense, and four-star junior edge rusher Gabe Kaminski, who has more than a dozen Power Five scholarship offers, paces the defense. Carmel (10-1), whose only loss was to defending Class 7A champ Mount Carmel, has a proven veteran quarterback in Southeast Missouri commit Johnny Weber and a talented back in Donovan Dey.

5A: No. 24 Joliet Catholic at No. 15 Morris, 3 p.m. Saturday

This is the seventh playoff meeting of the far southwest suburban rivals, a series Joliet Catholic leads 4-2, including victories in the Class 5A title games in 2001 and 2004. The Hilltoppers (8-3) scored two defensive touchdowns last week against Triad and ran for 337 yards, with Keegan Farnaus and HJ Grigsby leading the way. Running back Jacob Swartz has been a reliable option all season for Morris (11-0), which rallied in the fourth quarter to eliminate Sacred Heart-Griffin 39-36 last week.

Morgan Park beats Sycamore to earn a spot in the Class 5A quarterfinals. ‘Tears came to my eyes, tears of joy.’

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Morgan Park’s Marcus Thaxton (4) reacts during the game against Sycamore at Gately.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

After going 0-22 against outside competition in the first round of the IHSA playoffs, the Public League was looking for any win — let alone a signature victory.

But that’s what No. 12 Morgan Park delivered Saturday afternoon at Gately Stadium, rallying from 11 points down at halftime to beat No. 21 Sycamore 27-21 in a Class 5A second-round game.

The Mustangs (10-1) are heading to the quarterfinals for the second straight season after beating a team that was headlined by Iowa commit Blake Gautcher and coming off two straight trips to the 5A semifinals.

“We’re not a regular CPS team,” junior safety Ahmad Grayer said. “We try to tell people that. They just don’t want to believe us.”

But the Mustangs altered the narrative, producing big plays on both sides of the ball after trailing 18-7 at halftime.

Quarterback Marcus Thaxton was 11 for 13 for 168 yards, including a 76-yard TD to Chris Durr, with one interception. The junior, who has offers from Kent State and New Mexico State, also had a 28-yard touchdown run.

“That’s as well as he’s thrown the ball,” Morgan Park coach Chris James said of Thaxton. “He got his scholarship offer he was worried about — you’ve got to live up to being this guy. And then once that weight came off his shoulders, he let the ball go,”

Keshawn Lewis-Hunt ran 18 times for 81 yards and two TDs, including a four-yarder that broke a 21-21 tie with 6:29 left in the game.

Lewis-Hunt, a transfer from Bremen, added a power running dimension for Morgan Park this season that just makes the passing game that much more effective.

“It means everything,” Durr, a Wyoming commit, said. “I don’t get double-teamed so it spreads the offense around. He can get us 30, he can get us 40, he can get us one yard if we need it.”

What the Mustangs needed at the end of the game was a big play from the defense.

After Lewis-Hunt’s go-ahead touchdown, Sycamore (9-2) took over at its own 43 and drove into the red zone for a first down at the Morgan Park 13. But Illinois commit Tysean Griffin stripped the ball from Diego Garcia at the 2-yard line and Grayer recovered the ball in the end zone.

“One of our things is, the first person there, you wrap up,” Grayer said. “The next person, you strip the ball. We know we needed a turnover, we needed a big stop and we got it.”

Durr’s reaction mirrored that of his teammates.

“I was so happy, I just couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I cried. Tears came to my eyes, tears of joy.”

Morgan Park’s Ahmad Grayer (2) recovers a fumbled ball during the fourth quarter.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Morgan Park took over with 2:09 remaining and ran out the clock.

Was this as good a win as James has had?

“As good as the Peoria win [in the 2021 first round],” he said. “But the next win will be better.”

For Sycamore, Gautcher threw a 26-yard TD pass to Kyle Prebil, Tyler Curtis ran for 59 yards and a score, Thatcher Friedrichs kicked two field goals and Garcia had a game-high 109 rushing yards.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” Gautcher said. “There’s also good things [but] Morgan Park has a really good team. We just had to play better.”