NORMAL — Loyola’s Drew MacPherson made the most of what appears to be his final game on offense. The senior running back has committed to Iowa, where he will likely play safety.
And being the Ramblers’ man in the backfield is something MacPherson will always remember.
“If this was my last game on offense, I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group,” he said. “I’m not completely sure what the future holds, but I want to take this time and focus on this team.
“I just love football. No matter what position it is, I just want to be on a team and be with a bunch of guys who care about the game.”
MacPherson made sure to come through with a big game late-late-late Saturday night at Hancock Stadium, running for 150 yards and two touchdowns and catching four passes for 41 yards and another TD in a 35-14 win over York that earned Loyola a third straight Class 8A state title.
Senior quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald, who also will head to Iowa as a preferred walk-on, completed 12 of 21 passes for 160 yards and three TDs for Loyola (12-2). He added 47 yards rushing.
On the flip side, senior quarterback Bruno Massel ran for 141 yards on 17 carries and added 81 yards passing for York (11-3). Jimmy Conners ran for 82 yards, including a 74-yard TD burst.
That TD opened the scoring, but Conners left the game with an injury after his fourth carry and MacPherson ended up taking control for the Ramblers, who earned their sixth state title in all.
“He’s one of a kind,” Fitzgerald said of MacPherson. “He’s been gifted something from God, and he uses it well. We rely on him and trust him to make those plays.”
MacPherson entered the game leading the Ramblers in rushing with 1,038 yards and receiving with 56 catches for 678 yards. He had a combined 19 TDs.
Loyola coach Beau Desherow pointed out that MacPherson is a player of many talents.
“Drew is completely selfless,” Desherow said of MacPherson. “He’s obviously a very physical runner with breakaway speed and he’s also a really good receiver so we put him all over the field.
“The one thing that people probably don’t talk about enough and doesn’t really show up on a stat sheet is the ability to block. He’s a devastating blocker.”
The Ramblers opened this championship season on a dubious note, going 1-2 with a 34-7 loss to eventual Class 6A state champion East St. Louis and a 35-21 setback to Wheaton St. Francis.
Some speculated this could be a down year, but Loyola ran the table the rest of the way, featuring playoff wins over strong programs in Marist, Maine South and Lincoln-Way East.
“They definitely heard the noise,” Desherow said of his players. “They heard that we’re not the same and we’re down this year and I think it really helped bring them together.
“This is a very tight-knit group of kids. We have great senior leadership and it really kind of just fortified them as a team.”
It didn’t help that Fitzgerald injured his hamstring in the second game of the season against Glenbard West and missed the next game. He came back but was limited with his running.
That is, until the end of the season, when he picked things up. His decision to walk-on at Iowa also could be considered by some as a risk, but he doesn’t see it that way.
“I loved the school that offered full scholarships, but I made the decision with my family that no matter what, I am going to go up against the best defense in the country in Iowa,” Fitzgerald said. “It doesn’t matter if I am playing or on the scout team.
“It’s going to get be better as a player and a person. It’s going to be a grind being a walk-on and it’s even more of a hill to climb, but I’m ready for it.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Pioneer Press.
