MM_110917

46 | November 9, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger sports
mokenamessenger.com
‘Knight Train,’ ‘Hit Squad’ strike again
Morgan goes for
156, 3 TDs, as ‘D’
notches 5 sacks,
pick in 21-7 win
Jason Maholy
Freelance Reporter
Lincoln-Way Central
coach Jeremy Cordell hasn’t
shaved his face in more than
two weeks, and he’s hoping
not to touch a razor again until
after Thanksgiving.
If the Knights keep playing
like they have through the
first two rounds of the postseason,
there is an excellent
chance he’ll get his wish.
Central running back
Mike Morgan rushed for 156
yards, a swarming defense
held yet another opponent to
a single touchdown, and the
Knights beat Hersey 21-7 to
advance to the quarterfinals
of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs.
Central (10-1) is in the
quarterfinals for the first time
in 17 years — before what
was once known as simply
Lincoln-Way split into distinct
Central and East high
schools.
The Knights will defend
their home field this week
when they host Benet, which
advanced to the quarterfinals
by dismantling Hononegah
— the top seed in Class 7A
— 23-0. The Redwings are
PRESSBOX PICKS
Our staff’s predictions for
the top games in Week 12
Providence Catholic (7-4) at St. Laurence (8-3)
Lincoln-Way East (11-0) hosts Oswego (10-1)
Lincoln-Way Central (10-1) hosts Benet Academy (8-3)
Lincoln-Way West (9-2) hosts Batavia (10-1)
Knights senior linebacker Nick DeGregorio lays down the
hammer on a Hersey player. The defense held Hersey to
under 21 points for only the second time this season.
44-10
Tim Carroll | Sports Editor
• Providence 35, St. Laurence 17. St.
Laurence has the better record, but
the Vikings have not faced the same
level of competition.
• LW East
• LW Central
• Batavia
battle-tested, having played
several teams still alive this
postseason, including Marist
(lost 38-24), Nazareth (lost
24-14) and St. Laurence
(won 49-28)
The usually clean-shaven
Cordell, who began growing
a playoff beard after the
Knights’ final regular season
game, has the Knights on the
cusp of returning the program
to the glory days it enjoyed
prior to the split. After
finishing runner-up in 1996,
the Knights won the state title
in 1997, then advanced to the
semifinals in 1999 and 2000.
“It feels good,” Cordell
said of the Knights getting
into the quarterfinals for the
first time since 2000. “I told
the boys to enjoy this. We’ve
worked extremely hard as
a program, as players and
coaches, and we need to enjoy
this moment and celebrate
just being great teammates
and brothers to each other,
and just enjoy the journey.
It’s been an 11-month journey,
and, obviously, we’re
not close to being done, but
just enjoy the moment.”
The Knights’ formula for
playing in DeKalb in late November
is to hitch the Knight
Train offense to Morgan, and
allow their Hit Squad defense
to pulverize opponents. Morgan
carried the ball 40 times
and accounted for Central’s
three touchdowns, all on runs
of 2 yards. The Knights ran
71 offensive plays — 61 of
them runs — to Hersey’s 44,
as the Knights continually
moved the chains and controlled
the clock.
“It’s fun going out there
and getting the ball a lot. It
was easier for me to get into
44-10
Tom Czaja | Contributing
Editor
• Providence 35, St. Laurence 21.
Formidable schedule of Celtics has
team well-prepared to continue
playoff run to semifinal.
• LW East
• LW Central
• Batavia
Lincoln-Way Central senior linebackers Peyton Nigro (left) and Matt Granberry celebrate
after Granberry’s interception Saturday, Nov. 4, against Hersey. The Knights went on to win
21-7. Photos by Jason Maholy/22nd Century Media
to the game,” Morgan said.
“And the offensive line did
great job opening holes all
game.”
Morgan also caught two
passes for 38 yards. Central
senior quarterback Sam Pipiras
completed 6-of-10 passes
for 140 yards, including a
66-yarder to running back
Justin Ellis that helped set up
Morgan’s second touchdown.
The 21 points the Knights
scored were the most Hersey
(9-2) had allowed this season.
The Central defense, meanwhile,
continued to make
its case that it is among the
best in the state. Hersey entered
the contest unbeaten at
42-12
Joe Coughlin | Publisher
• Providence 34, St. Laurence 24.
Like many Chicago Catholic League
teams, the Celtics are built for this.
• LW East
• LW Central
• LW West
home and averaging more
than 36 points per game, and
had been held to fewer than
21 points only once. The
Knights’ front seven sacked
Huskies quarterback Owen
Goldsberry five times and
continually harassed the senior
signal-caller.
“We want our defense to
play fast, physical and free,”
Cordell said. “We knew we
were going to have to disrupt
[Goldsberry] and disrupt
their game plan a little bit,
and we did that. Kudos to
him. He got out on some runs
and made some nice plays,
but it was disruptive.”
Granberry acknowledged
Goldsberry’s athleticism and
said the Knights were focused
on keeping him from
making plays.
“Our main thing this week
was just to stop No. 11,” said
senior linebacker Matt Granberry,
who had one sack and
an interception. “We know
he’s a key player, we know
when things hit the fan they’re
going to go to him for everything,
and if we shut down
No. 11 the game is over.”
Morgan said advancing
beyond the second round —
in which the Knights lost to
Rolling Meadows a season
ago — is huge for the program,
especially the seniors
who were part of last year’s
team.
“We wanted this really
bad,” he said. “Last year, it
hurt to lose in the playoffs …
We didn’t want to feel that
again, so we came out hungry
and wanted to get this win.
Coach keeps telling us to create
a legacy, and, clearly, today
I think we did.”
The Knights were a young
team last year, and their progression
since the seasonending
loss is evident on the
field and in the attitude of
players who expect victory.
“It’s been many years since
we’ve been in [the quarterfinals],
and finally we’re here
now, and we have a really
good grasp on this,” Granberry
said. “Our goal going
forward is to hit the ground
running against any opponent
that’s in our way, and we’re
going to keep rolling. Put
the foot on the gas pedal and
keep going.”