We have reached the final week of the high school football season and eight teams will be bringing home state championship trophies this weekend from Normal.
In the Southland, we are down to a terrific trio of title contenders. Mount Carmel in Class 7A, Joliet Catholic in 5A and Chicago Christian in 2A will have the pleasure of practicing before and after their Thanksgiving turkeys.
So, how did we get here and what’s going to happen this weekend? Also, how did last weekend’s results awaken one of the state’s age-old debates, which may be heard louder than ever this week? Let’s take a look.
Champion-worthy performances
I’ll start with the game I was at, where Mount Carmel delivered perhaps the best half of football I’ve ever seen a team play against a formidable opponent.
The Caravan got the ball six times in the first half against one of the best defenses in the state. The result? Six touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Jack Elliott was simply special, throwing five TD passes to four different receivers and using his legs in a way we haven’t seen since he suffered a midseason injury.
Vanderbilt hit the lottery here.
The oft-questioned Mount Carmel defense was pretty darn good, too. St. Rita hit a couple of long runs in the first half, but the Caravan rose up for a pair of fourth-down stops on their side of the field that sent the game barreling toward a rout.
Down in Joliet, the Hilltoppers kept rolling with a 42-7 trouncing of Morris.
Joliet Catholic has outscored its four playoff opponents 192-21. It’s fair to say the path to the title game has been a relatively tame one, but there’s no questioning how impressive the Hilltoppers have been.
Everything is clicking, from an unstoppable run game led by senior Larry Stringham to dominant line play on both sides and an opportunistic defense, where Zachary Beitler and Mikey Brow have made big plays.
Of course, my favorite story is Chicago Christian. The Knights will play in a state championship game for the first time after getting the job done on another long road trip, taking down previously unbeaten Farmington 34-20.
Senior running back Kenny Jager was the man in this one, going for 223 yards and three TDs on 36 carries. Seniors Niko Griggs and Brock Sperling led the defense.
Elsewhere, we lost a state championship favorite when Lincoln-Way East fell to Loyola yet again.
However, I still think there are multiple titles coming back to the area. Stay tuned.
It’s time for some changes
Let’s get into what surely will be the most controversial topic of the week.
There are eight private schools playing in state championship games, spread over seven classes. That’s a record.
I’ve long been quick to shut down any suggestions that Illinois split public and private schools into different classes the way many other states do.
I still don’t want to see that, but it’s getting harder to brush aside that conversation.
Private schools make up less than 10% of the football teams in the state, but 50% of the championship teams.
And, trust me, I’m not trying to take anything away from any of those eight teams who certainly earned their place to play at Hancock Stadium.
But some things can be done to even the playing field and help quiet the push for the separation of privates and publics that most fans don’t want to see.
To prevent drastic measures, how about taking some simple steps?
First off, let’s make the multiplier waiver harder to attain or perhaps get rid of it entirely. Montini should never be playing in Class 3A.
And I’ll say the same for when local schools Joliet Catholic, Providence and St. Laurence played in 4A. Never should have happened.
Do I want to see classic battles like Lincoln-Way East and Loyola for years to come? Absolutely.
But I’m also not going to just tell disadvantaged public schools to “shut up and get better.”
Let’s make small fixes to prevent a drastic change.
Prediction time
Mount Carmel plays Batavia in the 7A championship game, and all due respect to the Bulldogs, who just find a way to win.
But I don’t see another Batavia comeback happening. Count on a three-peat for the Caravan.
Nazareth is also going for a three-peat and the Roadrunners are certainly the favorite against Joliet Catholic.
But I’ve got a feeling about this one.
The Hilltoppers are ready to turn the tide and finally get by their nemesis.
So, will it be a Southland sweep?
Chicago Christian certainly can win the 2A title. The Knights are good enough, and what a fairy-tale ending it would be.
I just think, after losing four state championship games in the last decade, it’s Maroa-Forsyth’s time.
Prove me wrong, Knights.
