IHSA State Championship Preview (Part II)
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5A Nazareth Academy vs Joliet Catholic (10AM) Nazareth returns to the state championship game looking to go back-to-back as they took home the 5A title home last year. Starting off 0-4, things did not start off promising for the Roadrunners.…
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Continue Reading5A Nazareth Academy vs Joliet Catholic (10AM)
Nazareth returns to the state championship game looking to go back-to-back as they took home the 5A title home last year. Starting off 0-4, things did not start off promising for the Roadrunners. Since the slow start Nazareth has found their stride, being led by their junior quarterback Logan Malachuk Logan Malachuk 5'11" | 175 lbs | QB Nazareth Academy | 2025 State IL . Malachuk’s ability to run the offense at a high level and distribute the ball to his playmakers has been a big reason for Nazareth’s deep playoff run.
Joliet Catholic enter the championship game 10-3 on the year. In true Hilltoppers fashion, JCA has been running the ball with authority all season long. They want to get their running backs down hill in their gap scheme run style offense. The go to guy this season has been senior running back HJ Grigsby. He had a big workload last week, rushing the ball 29 times for 149 yards. I expect Grigsby to get plenty of touches this Saturday morning.
Prediction: Joliet Catholic
6A Cary-Grove vs East St Louis (1PM)
2 years ago Cary-Grove had a big upset over East St Louis in the 6A championship game. The Flyers struggled slowing down Cary-Grove’s triple option attack allowing big plays in the run game. Cary-Grove will be coming in this game with the same offense as well as the same confidence as the 2021 team that got the job done. Senior running back Andrew Prio Andrew Prio 5'10" | 165 lbs | RB Cary Grove | 2024 IL will be the guy to watch for the Trojans in this rushing attack.
East St Louis has yet to be tested in the playoffs this year. No surprise here, the Flyers are loaded on both sides of the ball and know how to put teams away. They will be looking to to shut down this rushing attack like they did last year against Prairie Ride in the 6A title game. Look for senior quarterback Robert Battle Robert Battle 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB East St. Louis | 2024 State IL to use his arm and his legs to hurt this Cary-Grove defense.
Prediction: East St Louis
7A Downers Grove North vs Mount Carmel (4PM)
As the 13th seed, Downers Grove North was one of the most unlikely teams to get to state. However, they sent a message to the rest of the state last week taking down the #1 seed Normal Community 42-0. The Trojans are for real. Iowa State commit Cael Brezina Cael Brezina 6'3" | 210 lbs | LB Downers Grove North | 2024 State IL has been leading this strong defense for Downers Grove North all season long. They will have to hitting on cylinders this weekend to take down a tough Mount Carmel team.
Mount Carmel has proven they are one of the best teams in the state. They are another team playing this weekend that is looking for a repeat championship. They have a deep, impressive roster that is battle tested. They are a well coached team on both sides of the ball that are in the right spots. Jack Elliott Jack Elliott 6'1" | 195 lbs | QB Mount Carmel | 2025 State IL is the man behind center, leading this high powered offense all year long.
Prediction: Mount Carmel
8A Loyola vs Lincoln-Way East (7PM)
Get your popcorn ready for this game. 13-0 vs 13-0 facing off for the 8A state championship. A rematch from last year that we all wanted to see. This will be the game of the year in Illinois and how fitting that it will be last. Loyola got the best of LWE in 2022 winning the game 13-3. I expect a higher scoring game this year as they both bring in some serious offensive fire power. For LWE look no further than Braden Tischer Braden Tischer 5'11" | 160 lbs | QB Lincoln Way East | 2024 State IL , a dual-threat quarterback that has been shredding defenses with his big play ability. Ryan Fitzgerald has been the guy for Loyola playing mistake free football for most of the year throwing for 18 touchdowns with only 1 interception.
Prediction: Lincoln-Way East