State Finals: Scotty B’s Friday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Use code BlackFriday2024 for 50% off Prep Redzone Subscription This Week!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday was the first day of the IHSA state finals in Bloomington.&nbsp; Four champs were crowned.&nbsp; Here we break down each game along with the impact players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Althoff Rolls in 1A Behind the State's Top Playmaker Hill</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have been telling people all year the best player in the state was Althoff running back [player_tooltip player_id='201724' first='Dierre' last='Hill'] Jr.&nbsp; He showed it on the biggest stage in the state title game as he put on an absolute show!&nbsp; Such an electric running back in the open field after breaking tackles in the hole went for several 50+ yard TDs which is the norm for the Oregon commit.&nbsp; Also grinded out runs when he needed to finishing with power.&nbsp; In the first half alone he had 304 total yards.&nbsp; He had 32 carries for 438 yards (13.6 YPC) along with 1 catch for 80 yards finishing with 518 total yards and a state title record 7 touchdowns in the 57-14 Belleville Althoff win.&nbsp; With 7 TDs and a pair of 2 point conversions he scored 46 points by himself which is the most ever by any player in any class in the state finals.&nbsp; Simply a beast.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Have to give credit to the offensive line led by senior bookend tackles [player_tooltip player_id='1564786' first='Patton' last='Leib'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1564824' first='Logan' last='Davis'] along with his wide receivers blocking downfield.&nbsp; Also Mizzou commit [player_tooltip player_id='258001' first='Jason' last='Dowell'] who made huge plays consistently on the defensive side of the ball also was Hill's personal driver through many of the holes as a fullback.&nbsp; Speaking of the Althoff defense we have to give them major credit in this win.&nbsp; Dowell was a stud at the point of attack.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='831091' first='Drake' last='Mosley'] is one of the top uncommitted defenders in the state and the linebacker was flying all over the field making tackles.&nbsp; On the backend Boston College commit [player_tooltip player_id='1292071' first='Charleston' last='Coldon'] was impactful making tackles on the edge along with moving the chains as a wide receiver.&nbsp; A key play early in the game was an interception by 2026 safety [player_tooltip player_id='1585178' first='Lorne' last='Green'] who has upside moving forward.&nbsp; Also the next superstar at Althoff quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='214234' first='Jayden' last='Ellington'] made sure fans know his name as well.&nbsp; The #6 overall player in the 2027 class ripped of a 43 yard touchdown run pulling it then sprinting for a score.&nbsp; Also hit a 45 yard touchdown pass on 3^rd and long in the 4^th quarter to Kylin Jordan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite the loss there were several prospects on Lena Winslow that caught our attention.&nbsp; Aiden Wild is a 6'2” 2026 defensive end that has some range playing against the run on the edge.&nbsp; Also was a force as a running back with size that was good on sweeps getting downhill with his size and speed.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1585285' first='Alec' last='Schlichting'] is a smaller and speedy back that gets to the outside with his speed and quick feet including a 45 yard TD.&nbsp; Up front we liked what we saw long term from [player_tooltip player_id='1598836' first='Gannon' last='Dunker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1598841' first='Preston' last='Schultz'].&nbsp; Mobile 6'1” 250 pound two way lineman that have good athleticism and physicality as both defensive tackles along with bookend tackles on the offensive side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chicago Christian Captures 2A Crown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was all Chicago Christian in the first half.  Their defense was on point and they made key plays on the offensive side of the ball when needed including one of the plays of the day.  Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1572574' first='Christian' last='Flutman'] threw it up late in the half where the ball bounced in the air twice and almost like the Franco Harris Immaculate Reception play it was Niko Griggs who flew by catching it mid air and running it in for a score to give his team the 21-0 lead at the half.  Flutman is a creative quarterback that brings good athleticism and can make plays with his legs as well as the 5'10” signal caller scampered in for a score.  Running back [player_tooltip player_id='1572583' first='Kenny' last='Jager'] “moved like Jagger” on several slick runs including a touchdown where the 5'9” senior runs with a powerful slashing style.  It was more of the same in the second half as they grounded and pounded it out with their run game as Jager seemed to never slow down despite a ton of carries consistently running with quickness going for over 200 yards.  Then when they got in the redzone Flutman would take it over from there as he ran it in several more times for touchdowns racking up 3 scores on the ground along with two in the air leading his team to a 40-0 win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They were dominant defensively especially 2025 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='832146' first='Brock' last='Sperling'] who brought the physicality and athleticism up front making plays including forcing a fumble ripping the ball from the back which his team turned into points on the other end.&nbsp; Then put the exclamation point on the dominant defensive performance late rushing the QB, snatching the ball with his length, then rumbled it down into the redzone.&nbsp; Although Griggs had the spectacular play offensively, he projects best as a linebacker defensively.&nbsp; Flows well to the ball running with speed and getting the ball carrier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maroa Forsyth star [player_tooltip player_id='1292241' first='Grant' last='Smith'] is a tight end committed to Illinois.&nbsp; He didn't get a ton of targets in this game.&nbsp; You can see the athleticism and size on the defensive side as he forced and recovered a fumble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Montini Leaves No Doubt Winning 3A in Blowout over Monticello</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was our third blowout in a row as Montini took it to Monticello in the first half throwing a shutout in the first half leading 35-0 and never looking back winning by a final of 49-8.&nbsp; They were so balanced all game long between the pass, run, and defensively.&nbsp; Sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='611846' first='Israel' last='Abrams'] is one of the best in the state.&nbsp; He is a dual threat signal caller that gets everyone involved like a point guard dishing it out to his weapons while getting it out of his hands quickly. His mobility as a runner was evident scoring on a bootleg, extending plays, dashing for a 48 yard run, and another on fourth down.&nbsp; His final line read <a>10/16 for 225 yards passing along with 59 yards rushing for 4 touchdowns </a>total.&nbsp; His running back [player_tooltip player_id='1564790' first='Jeremiah' last='Peterson'] is like Jerome Bettis!&nbsp; Absolute tank in the backfield and impossible to bring down with just one tackler.&nbsp; He is a physical in between the tackles rusher that is fast enough to break some long runs.&nbsp; Went for 134 yards on the ground.&nbsp; Abrams did a good job of getting it to his speedy wide outs including 2025 playmaker Santino Florio and 2026 two way standout [player_tooltip player_id='1585203' first='CJ' last='Harkins'] who were both electric with it in the open field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively for Montini their defensive line of [player_tooltip player_id='1180017' first='Douglas' last='Mateo'], [player_tooltip player_id='1334146' first='Namari' last='Anderson'], and JC Hayes were outstanding.&nbsp; Mateo is a nose guard that takes up blockers clogging the inside while still making tackles.&nbsp; Hayes is also an offensive tackle that showcased his athleticism and tools on both sides.&nbsp; Anderson is a top 10 sophomore in the state and was a force at times playing with physicality at the point of attack using his hands to get off blocks to make tackles.&nbsp; Senior defensive back Vince Irion is a 6'0” 160 pound safety that was drawn to the ball all game long as a tackling machine.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1280429' first='Maxwell' last='Bell'] high pointed an interception late in the game and had a pretty nice return on it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nolan Buehnerkemper is an intriguing 2026 athlete.&nbsp; He started out at wide receiver where he made a couple plays in the first half along with showing instincts on the back end in deep coverage making a play on the ball as a defensive back along with racking up double digit tackles.&nbsp; The 6'0” junior then tried his hat at QB where he showed decent touch on some throws and ran it well. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DePaul Prep Finishes Night Off in Impressive Fashion Winning 4A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We were hoping the fourth game of the day would be a bit closer.&nbsp; Not so much.&nbsp; DePaul Prep and Mt. Zion seemed pretty evenly matched coming into the game, but from the very jump it was DePaul Prep who won every area of the game winning by a final of 40-6.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively DePaul Prep was a force and it started right from the beginning.&nbsp; They came in with a great game plan as they were not going to let the speedy weapons for Mt. Zion get in space.&nbsp; Every time one of them got the ball they were surrounded by tacklers.&nbsp; They also got after the QB all night long.&nbsp; The first name that really popped to us was sophomore defensive tackle Hunter Wahtola who consistently got pressure up the middle forcing the passer to move out of the pocket.&nbsp; On the edge it was senior [player_tooltip player_id='1572529' first='Michael' last='Casper'] who was a wrecking crew as a pass rusher getting multiple sacks on the evening.&nbsp; From the second level [player_tooltip player_id='1564036' first='Jet' last='Reese'] showed why he is primed to fly up the final Redzone rankings with his speed and hard hitting causing an interception on a hit of the passer.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1572601' first='Gianni' last='Giunta'] was another effective linebacker that flowed to the ball racking up tackles.&nbsp; On the backend [player_tooltip player_id='1572609' first='Nicholas' last='Hathcoat'] is a playmaker as he had a big interception along with contributing in the run game bringing down ball carriers.&nbsp; He also showed some ability on special teams and offense on returns along with running the ball including scoring a rushing TD in the fourth quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams offensive line dominated when they had the ball in both the run game and pass pro.&nbsp; It starts with their general up front in Johns Hopkins commit [player_tooltip player_id='1146460' first='Dominic' last='Bitz'] at center.&nbsp; The pivot man runs the show and plays with a nasty streak.&nbsp; Knows how to use his size and leverage.&nbsp; Even got a first down on a fake punt.&nbsp; At right tackle top 20 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='901504' first='Carlos' last='Rios'] sure looks the part.&nbsp; The big fella was fantastic holding down one of the best athletes in the state from getting anywhere near his passer.&nbsp; Legit size, elite footwork at a young age, mirrors, and uses his long arms to keep pass rushers out of body.&nbsp; Speaking of passer you have to give a lot of props to DePaul Prep senior [player_tooltip player_id='1572579' first='Juju' last='Rodriguez'].&nbsp; He is a true leader that brings a lot of savviness to the table.&nbsp; Makes key plays when they need to be made.&nbsp; Good athlete that is best as a runner.&nbsp; He is slick with it on designed runs and hit a few passes.&nbsp; That included a 40 yard crossing route to Central Michigan commit [player_tooltip player_id='1525746' first='Braden' last='Peevy'].&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1572596' first='Nick' last='Martinez'] continued the theme of stars at the running back spot on winning teams Friday.&nbsp; He is a quick and shifty senior back that got in the endzone multiple times in the win.&nbsp; Went for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns on 19 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a tough night for Mt. Zion.&nbsp; Illini commit [player_tooltip player_id='278901' first='Brayden' last='Trimble'] never got fully going, but he did flash.&nbsp; You can see the Percy Harvin type role he will play as a runner and receiver at the next level.&nbsp; Good runner on gadget type plays.&nbsp; Got the only score of the night for Mt. Zion high-pointing a lob pass to the corner winning in double coverage.&nbsp; Also want to give some props to senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1572547' first='Kaden' last='Becker'] who is a tackling machine and fierce runner as a back.&nbsp; He had 79 yards on the ground and 11 tackles on defense.&nbsp; Little undersized, but if he finds the right school he will be a productive college player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->