NORMAL, Ill.—The only time a high school football team ever attends a press conference is after the state title game. The losing team goes first.
So, just a few minutes after one of the most dream-crushing moments of his life, a teenager finds himself sitting in front of the assembled state media. And they are firing questions at him.
The players are often in tears. I haven’t seen a coach cry yet, but the situation is just as foreign to him—and nearly as heartbreaking.
In the pressure of that moment it can be difficult to fully appreciate the long arc of the season, from summer camps to the start of practice to 14 games later. But St. Laurence coach Adam Nissen saw the big picture clearly. For the Vikings, this season’s journey was about more than just one year.
“Since I’ve taken over I don’t really feel like the football program has gotten a lot of respect,”Nissen said. “The guys on this stage have really given validity to St. Laurence football again. I can’t tell you how much they’ve done for the program and bringing some legitimacy and some respect back to St. Laurence football.”
The Vikings lost the Class 4A state title game 59-38 to Rochester, a state powerhouse. It was the ninth state championship for the Rockets. St. Laurence’s last title was in 1976. It hadn’t played in a championship game since 1979.
The game was never very close in the second half, but the Vikings (10-4) made Rochester (14-0) work for the win. It was a statement playoff run for St. Laurence and a respectable title-game loss for a program striving to join the elite.
The combined total of 97 points is a Class 4A state title game record. Rochester’s 59 points is also a Class 4A title game record.
But the Rockets scored all of those points because St. Laurence never gave up. The Vikings kept scoring. Rochester had not allowed more than 14 points in any playoff game.
“[St. Laurence] played their butts off,” Rockets coach Derek Leonard said. “Give them a lot of credit. They never quit and their coach does a great job. That was a fun game.”
Rochester’s Logan Carmody (16) stiff arms St. Laurence’s Connor Cleary.
Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
Nicholas Morozowski rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns for Rochester. Parker Gillespie rushed for two TDs and Henry Buecker had five carries for 83 yards and a TD. Junior quarterback Bryan Zulauf was 15-for-19 for 178 yards and 3 TDs.
“It is so much fun to score,” Zulauf said.
A three-yard TD run by St. Laurence senior Aaron Bell cut the Rockets’ lead to 17-14 with 7:05 left in the first half. Rochester responded with two touchdowns in the next five minutes and rolled from there.
Ball had 26 carries for 160 yards and 2 TDs for the Vikings. St. Laurence quarterback Evan Les was 7-for-16 for 138 yards and a TD. He also had nine carries for 37 yards and 2 TDs.
“St. Laurence was really physical at all points of attack,” Gillespie said. “Their defensive linemen got off the ball really well. Their secondary played hard and [Ball] was great.”
