NORMAL — Junior quarterback Lucas Simulick understands that the Joliet Catholic offense is not going to revolve around him.
The Hilltoppers, as they traditionally do, have relied on the run game all season. But Simulick has progressed during his first fall as a starter, helping his team be more multidimensional throughout its run to a third state championship game in the last four years.
Joliet Catholic coach Jake Jaworski has witnessed Simulick’s development.
“He’s a heck of a competitor,” Jaworski said. “Heck of a baseball player. He was a starter at shortstop as a freshman on a state championship team, so he’s kind of got ‘it’ as a competitor.
“He kind of came into his own, especially in the playoffs. I think it’s seven or eight touchdowns during this run. He’s settled into his own, built a rapport with some of our receivers, and he gave us a heck of a chance to win.”
Simulick connected on a few big passes Saturday, including two TD throws, but the Hilltoppers fell just short of the program’s 16th state title with a 29-27 loss to Nazareth in the Class 5A final at Hancock Stadium.
Simulick completed 5 of 10 passes for 106 yards, including TD throws of 36 and 13 yards to Keegan Farnaus, to spark Joliet Catholic (10-4).
The Hilltoppers ran for 308 yards. Larry Stringham finished with 147 on 23 carries and Nate Magrini added 125 yards and a TD on 21 carries.
Ian Campbell had five tackles — three for a loss — a sack and a forced fumble to lead the Joliet Catholic defense, which held Nazareth (12-2) to eight points in the second half.
A 1-yard TD run by Vince Bremner with 20 seconds left in the game pulled the Hilltoppers within 29-27, but Simulick’s 2-point conversion pass ended up as an incompletion, preserving a third straight state championship for the Roadrunners.
“We kind of got what we wanted,” Jaworski said of the 2-point play. “It’s something we’ve been practicing for all year. It’s high school kids out here playing and things happen in sports.”
The difference in the game ended up being a 2-point conversion pass from junior kicker Frankie Nichols to Henry Sakalas on a fake extra-point kick that gave Nazareth a 29-14 lead late in the third quarter.
Nonetheless, Simulick continued his playoff surge. He rallied the Hilltoppers from that 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, starting with the 13-yard TD pass to Farnaus with 3:20 to go.
“I learned from my mistakes,” Simulick said. “I watched film. Me and my guys have dinner every week and we bond and get connections.”
Magrini, meanwhile, had a succinct explanation for why the Hilltoppers were able to run the ball so effectively again.
“O-line,” Magrini said. “That’s it.”
Joliet Catholic’s starting offensive linemen were Jake Jakovich, Malik Salah, Connor Ahoyt, Michael Lynch and Cam Juricich.
Nazareth beat Joliet Catholic 38-20 in the 2023 state championship game and 16-13 earlier this season.
But the Hilltoppers’ seniors were part of a highly successful era as Joliet Catholic won the Class 4A championship in 2021, followed by runner-up finishes the last two seasons.
Senior linebacker Daniel Rouse said his class was a special group.
“I played with them for four years and this is the most fun I’ve had,” said Rouse, an all-state selection. “We all love each other. We hang out outside of school and outside of practice.
“We have the camaraderie that teams are supposed to have.”
With Simulick poised to return next season as a senior leader, there’s certainly plenty of motivation returning for the Hilltoppers.
“I’m going to tell the guys to watch Naz celebrate and take it in,” Simulick said. “You don’t want that next year. You want to win. You don’t want to feel the defeat of losing two years in a row.”
