MK_112719

38 | November 27, 2019 | the mokena messenger SPORTS
mokenamessengerdaily.com
Big plays send Griffins to another state championship game
4
JON DEPAOLIS
Freelance Reporter
In a game in which the final
score belied how tight it
actually was, Lincoln-Way
East needed as many big
plays on defense as it could
manage against Marist.
The defense – as it has all
season – responded with its
first three-takeaway game
Saturday, Nov. 23, as the
Griffins (13-0) stamped
their ticket to DeKalb with
a 24-7 win in the Class 8A
semifinals in Chicago.
East will meet Warren
(13-0) – a 28-0 winner over
Brother Rice – in the 8A
championship game at 7
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at
Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.
It will be the second state
championship appearance in
three years, and fourth overall
for the Griffins, who will
try for their third state title in
the program’s 19th season.
The game will feature two
of the state’s top defenses as
Warren has not allowed
more than seven points in
a game and allowed just 40
points in 13 games, including
six shutouts.
East got vengeance after
falling in the semifinals to
LW East at Marist, Nov. 23
1 2 3 4 F
LW East 7 3 7 7 24
Marist 0 7 0 0 7
Three Stars of the Game:
1. AJ Henning, LW East, senior receiver – Two receptions,
81 yards, touchdown; Seven rushes, 19 yards, 1
touchdown
2. Matt Kordas, LW East, junior defensive back –
Interception, fumble recovery
3. Jamal Johnson, LW East, junior running back – 27 carries,
173 yards, touchdown Lincoln-Way East’s Matt Kordas intercepts a Marist
pass in the end zone during the Griffins’ 24-7 win in a
Class 8A semifinal Saturday, Nov. 23, in Chicago.
JULIE MCMANN/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
Loyola last year.
“We had a lot of juniors
and sophomores on that
team,” junior defensie back
Matt Kordas said. “It hurt to
see us lose like that. So, we
came out here, and we knew
we had to do it for those seniors
last year and do it for
our team.”
With East holding on to
a 10-7 lead in the semifinal,
the RedHawks (8-5) lined up
at their own 33 for a secondand-9
play with under 2:30
left in the quarter. Marist
senior quarterback Hayden
Mikesell quickly found tight
end Brendan Barry for the
first-down completion, but
as Barry turned up field, East
defensive back Jalen Hacha
wrestled the ball loose.
Kordas was there to pick
it up.
The Griffins offense
turned that turnover into
points, scoring on a 3-yard
touchdown run by senior AJ
Henning to make it 17-7.
“[Hacha] was working
on it all week in practice,”
Kordas said of the forced
fumble. “That kid, he busts
his tail every day. I just saw
[the ball] there, and I made
the play. I had some good
blocks on the sideline.
“It was a huge moment
for us. We have been working
on the strip drill all year.
Our goal was to get three
turnovers every game. This
was the first time doing it.”
East coach Rob Zvonar
also recognized the importance
of the fumble.
“It is a game of emotion
and momentum, and I
think it was third down and
they got another third-down
[conversion],” Zvonar said
of the RedHawks drive up to
that point. “Our third-down
defense was terrible today.
But they get a big first down,
and [a couple plays later],
he’s running down the field.
“I don’t know even know
who came in and forced it,
but I just saw Kordas pick
it up and run. That kind of
changed the momentum.
Even though it was early in
the half, that was a big, big
deal. There is no doubt.”
East got out to an early
lead as junior running back
Jamal Johnson (27 rushes,
173 yards) busted a 14-yard
touchdown run with 8:06
left in the first quarter.
But the RedHawks countered
with a 27-yard touchdown
pass from Mikesell to
Barry to tie it up.
The Griffins regained the
lead on a 25-yard field goal
by Dominic Dzioban.
On the next series, the
RedHawks were driving
deep into Griffins territory.
But on a heave from Mikesell
into the end zone, Kordas
leaped up and snagged
the ball away from the receiver.
It was Kordas’ fifth interception
of the playoffs.
The Griffins were still up
just 17-7 headed into the
fourth quarter.
“Going into that fourth
quarter, I grabbed [Henning]
and said, ‘I need one from
you,’” Zvonar said. “He
gave us that one to seal it.”
The play was a shovel
pass from senior quarterback
Kyle Quinn (5-of-8,
106 yards) to Henning, who
then took it 66 yards for the
score to make it 24-7 with
just 6:27 remaining.
Josh Vargas capped the
win with an interception.
“Coach always talks
about fighting adversity, and
we know everything is not
always going to go our way
in the game,” Henning said.
“We stayed cool, calm and
collected. The defense made
some stops up front when
we needed them to down the
stretch, and the offense was
able to go down the field and
capitalize when we needed it
to.”
Our staff’s predictions for the eight state championship games
OK, this is it for 16 football teams in Illinois and
six Press Box Pickers in the 22nd Century Media
office. We are picking all eight IHSA championship
football games and chances are good that many
on the panel could not tell you where some of the
teams in the smaller classes are, geographically.
Vorva’s one-game lead? That could shrivel up
quickly if Czaja, Millar or anyone else gets hot.
GameS of the Week
• Class 8A: LW East (13-0) vs. Warren (13-0).
Other Games
• Class 1A: Lena-Winslow (13-0) vs. Central A&M (13-0)
• Class 2A: Nashville (12-1) vs. Sterling Newman (12-1)
• Class 3A: Byron (12-1) vs. Williamsville (13-0)
• Class 4A: Richmond-Burton (13-0) vs. Murphysboro
(11-2)
• Class 5A: St. Rita (10-3) vs. Rochester (12-1)
• Class 6A: Prairie Ridge (12-1) vs. E. St. Louis (Sr.)
(13-0)
• Class 7A: Nazareth (13-0) vs. Mt. Carmel (13-0)
56-13
Jeff Vorva |
Sports Editor
• LWE 30, Warren 21. Another state
title for the Griffs has been in the
cards since last year’s shocking loss
to Loyola in the semis.
• Lena-Winslow
• Sterling
• Byron
• Richmond-Burton
• St. Rita
• East St. Louis
• Nazareth
55-14
Thomas Czaja |
Senior Editor
• LWE 17, Warren 14. Griffins
emerge victorious from epic battle
to win state title.
• Lena-Winslow
• Nashville
• Williamsville
• Richmond-Burton
• St. Rita
• East St. Louis
• Nazareth
54-15
Steve Millar |
Sports Editor
• LWE 20, Warren 14. The two best
defenses in the state square off, but
it’s the Griffins who have enough
big-play potential on offense to
get it done.
• Central A&M
• Sterling Newman
• Byron
• Richmond-Burton
• St. Rita
• East St. Louis
• Nazareth
51-18
Joe Coughlin |
Publisher
• LWE 20, Warren 7. Defensive
slugfest with Griffins making big
plays necessary for a title.
• Lena-Winslow
• Sterling Newman
• Byron
• Richmond-Burton
• Rochester
• East St. Louis
• Mt. Carmel
50-19
Sean Hastings |
Contributing Editor
• LWE 42, Warren 28. Griffins finish
season undefeated, AJ Henning has
a huge game.
• Central A&M
• Nashville
• Byron
• Murphysboro
• St. Rita
• East St. Louis
• Mt. Carmel
48-21
Heather Warthen |
Chief Marketing Officer
• LWE 28, Warren 14. Griffins bring
home another trophy for the case.
• Central A&M
• Nashville
• Byron
• Murphysboro
• St. Rita
• Prairie Ridge
• Mt. Carmel