Football in the state of Illinois isn’t perfect. The high school class system is ever-changing, scheduling efforts don’t always seem logical and there were a number of blowouts in the state championships this weekend. However, without these flaws Illinois football wouldn’t have had many of the captivating story lines witnessed this postseason.
Here’s how it all concluded:
In 1A championship action, top seed Stark County was upset by fellow undefeated Arcola, 35-17. Arcola senior Clayton Strader ran for two touchdowns and threw for two TDs this weekend in DeKalb, Ill.
Stark County lost its starting quarterback John Groter to a left knee injury midway through the second quarter and struggled to score more points. In the end, his departure was too much to overcome in the title game.
Both 2A and 3A title games were decided rather quickly. Undefeated Tri Valley took down Auburn 41-8 in the 2A finale. Valley Quarterback Peyton Roop ran for 137 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Bishop McNamara crushed Unity 50-7 in the 3A championship. McNamara led 42-0 at the half.
Phillips High School became the first Chicago Public School to win a state title in the 4A class when it beat Althoff Catholic 51-7 in a dominant performance over the weekend.
In 5A play, Nazareth stymied Lincoln-Way West 42-24. Nazareth junior Ivory Kelly-Martin ran 13 times for 170 yards and four touchdowns. He set a class record with a 96-yard run in the title game. His performance was one of the best all day.
Montini of 6A completed an undefeated season in its title win over Crete-Monee 38-15. Monee couldn’t find an answer for Montini’s explosive quarterback. Justin Blake ran 26 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He also through for 104 yards.
Glenbard West’s Sam Brodner topped the 200-yard mark in his team’s victory over Libertyville. Brodner had 28 carries for 264 yards and four touchdowns to lead Glenbard to the 7A title 34-28. His bruising runs gashed Libertyville’s defense and helped salt away the win.
Loyola Academy completed its magical season as it envisioned with a 41-0 defeat of Marist in the 8A title game. Two weeks ago, the Ramblers proved they were the best team in the state by beating the former No. 1 squad Homewood-Flossmoor in the game of the postseason. With its takedown of Marist, it became a champion.
As it has all season, Loyola won the game as a unit. Senior Dara Laja, Loyola’s all-time leading rusher, had 24 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Emmett Clifford added 195 aerial yards on 16-for-24 passing with a touchdown.
