Batavia’s ground game has received a lot of recognition during the postseason, and rightfully so, but senior wideout Isaiah Brown is having a pretty good run to remember as well.
On top of that, Brown threw his hat into the prediction ring for Saturday’s big game.
“Before I got on the bus, I told my teammates, ‘I feel like something good is going to happen,’” he said. “I felt something different.”
Then Brown went out and made a difference.
He caught a pass on the first play and scored a touchdown on the first drive, setting the tone for a monster effort in the Bulldogs’ 25-21 comeback win over host Lincoln-Way Central in a Class 7A state semifinal in New Lenox.
Brown caught nine passes for 93 yards and three TDs for Batavia (13-1), which advances to the state championship game for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2022.
Sophomore quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren, playing in his seventh game while sharing snaps with Bodi Anderson, completed 12 of 18 passes for 210 yards and three TDs. Anderson also threw a TD pass. Nathan Whitwell ran for 73 yards on 19 carries.
Brown caught the winning TD with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter, grabbing a 15-yard pass from Vander Luitgaren in the front corner of the end zone to clinch a trip to state for the Bulldogs, who face Mount Carmel (10-3) at 4 p.m. Saturday for the state title at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
“When it was in the air, I just knew it was going to land perfectly into my arms,” Brown said. “Just being a sophomore and putting balls in spots like that is just amazing. I thank him for that.
“It was a no-huddle play. He looked over and gave me the call and just told me to be calm. He was going to put it up and I had to go get it.”
Batavia had to take it because Lucas Andresen caught six passes for 151 yards and a TD to lead the Knights (10-4). Drew Woodburn threw for 180 yards and a TD and added a rushing TD.
But having a security blanket like Brown is quite the luxury for Vander Luitgaren, who’s just getting his feet wet at the varsity level.
“I just know ‘Zay’ is one of the best receivers in the state,” Vander Luitgaren said. “I just know if I give him a chance he’s going to come down with it. That’s all I needed to do there.
“He did his job. It was amazing.”
Vander Luitgaren calmly led the Bulldogs on the final drive, going 77 yards in eight plays. The key throw was a 31-yard pass to Jack Mysliwiec on a third-and-14 that kept the drive going.
“He did a wonderful job for us,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron said of Vander Luitgaren. “That’s his thing. It’s not really a surprise. He’s been with us in practice most of the year. We just got to a point where we could do the things we’re doing right now.
“There are things we like that we can do with both kids. I like it. We’re going to keep doing it.”
The timeshare will continue next week at quarterback, but there’s no denying the spark that Vander Luitgaren has provided.
“There is some specialness to what he’s bringing to the game for us right now,” Piron said. “He doesn’t get nervous, doesn’t get flustered. That was just spectacular.”
Brown, meanwhile, now has 25 catches for 396 yards and eight TDs in the postseason.
“He can do some really neat things,” Piron said. “It’s really nice because we’ve had to rely on Nate so much this year. For our passing game to come on now is really good.”
The Bulldogs are really happy about being heading back to Normal, which is still surreal to Piron, a Batavia graduate.
“I can’t believe we’re going to state,” Piron said. “To think one day we would be a football powerhouse is amazing. I love it. It’s fantastic.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
