State Finals: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook

Use code BlackFriday2024 for 50% off Prep Redzone Subscription This Week!   Prep Redzone continued our coverage of the state finals on Saturday with the 5A – 8A championship games.  You can see who won, who shined, and who emerged in our notebook below!   Nazareth Academy Tops Joliet Catholic in 5A Title of Powerhouse Programs   When you talk about blue bloods of high school football in Illinois Nazareth and Joliet Catholic would be toward the top of that list.  They do it in much different ways as Nazareth lets it rip through the air while JCA pounds it on the ground with their three back attack.  Nazareth jumped out to a 29-14 lead and it looked like it was over, but Joliet Catholic stuck to what they do executing in the run game, got a few stops, and went 47 yards on the ground in under 3 minutes to cut the lead to 29-27.  They threw it on the 2 point conversion and it was dropped.  Nazareth recovered the onside kick and won the game.  It is Nazareth's third consecutive state championship victory.   When you talk about Naz it starts with 2025 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='118787' first='Logan' last='Malachuk'] who is an athletic signal caller with a rocket for an arm. He hit several big plays including a 75 yard touchdown in the first half. Throws it well on the move and was in complete control of the game going for 336 yards and 4 touchdowns on 18/31 passing. He had a plethora of weapons to get it to including a monster performance from 2026 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1585141' first='Trenton' last='Walker'] who caught the bomb to get the scoring started. At 6'3” he impressed with his route running on shorter routes as well including one he powered in for a second score. [player_tooltip player_id='161367' first='James' last='Penley'] is a shifty pass catcher with good hands that reeled in a 34 yard touchdown pass.   Their top prospect top 10 senior Stanford bound [player_tooltip player_id='278245' first='Gabe' last='Kaminski'] did it on both sides of the ball.  The linebacker/defensive lineman was a force all game long as he blew plays up in the backfield, got pressure on the QB, and had a fumble recovery.  Offensively he even caught a TD on a pass over the middle in the redzone.  Indiana bound [player_tooltip player_id='162591' first='Garrett' last='Reese'] came up with some key plays defensively as well forcing a fumble, flying all over the field from the back end, and even made an impact on offense as a pass catcher getting them down to the goal line.   Joliet Catholic was all about their running game.  Senior backs [player_tooltip player_id='1232590' first='Larry' last='Stringham'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1572537' first='Nate' last='Magrini'] were beasts all night with their physical running between the tackles.  The speed/scat back [player_tooltip player_id='1292307' first='Keegan' last='Farnaus'] caught a pair of touchdown passes including keeping his foot in on a big one late.  It was Michael Lynch and [player_tooltip player_id='1292305' first='Jake' last='Jakovich'] moving bodies up front on their offensive line.  On the defensive side for JCA we were impressed with highly ranked defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='401608' first='Ian' last='Campbell'] as the junior lived in the backfield both against the run and pass.  Fellow 2026 defender [player_tooltip player_id='401618' first='Kingston' last='Dunagan'] is a thick bodied edge that had a couple wins in one on one situations making key plays.   East St. Louis Team Speed Just Too Much in 6A Championship   The next contest was East St. Louis vs Geneva.  The Flyers have been in this game the last four years winning two and losing two.  Early on it looked like they were going to route Geneva, but credit to Geneva as they fought back making it a one score game in the third quarter.  East St. Louis took over from there winning 48-28.   Speed, speed, and more speed on both sides of the ball for the Flyers.  Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='831102' first='Kendrick' last='Lyons'] is the one that got all his weapons the ball.  Quick getting it out of his hands letting them do the work most of the time after the catch.  Velo on his throws and brings excellent mobility in the pocket along with the ability to run when he needs too.  He was 14/21 for 225 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a pair of interceptions.  His favorite weapon on the day was sophomore star [player_tooltip player_id='1335411' first='Ronnie' last='Gomiller'].  Excellent going over the middle with his silky smooth routes and hands in traffic.  Slippery along with lethal speed after the catch as he took one 80 yards to the house.  Finished with 128 yards and a pair of scores on 5 catches.  Senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1564075' first='Christopher' last='Bennett'] is their gadget guy running jet sweeps racking up yardage in bunches.  Once he gets the edge it was over!   He had 6 catches for 68 yards along with 76 yards on the ground on 5 carries.  They have the best 1-2 combination of backs in the state with Kent State commit [player_tooltip player_id='278888' first='TaRyan' last='Martin'] and Lindenwood bound [player_tooltip player_id='179193' first='Larevious' last='Woods'].  The senior duo dominated the game on the ground.  Woods had the big game in this one following blocks and running over defensive backs on the regular netting 117 yards and 3 touchdowns on 10 carries.  Martin is a physical back that also has good speed.  Finished his career with 76 yards and a score.   Defensively for East St. Louis there are stars all over the field.  They put pressure on the quarterback all game long including [player_tooltip player_id='830840' first='Ke'Andre' last='McClendon'], [player_tooltip player_id='401599' first='Carnell' last='McIntosh'], [player_tooltip player_id='1335224' first='Caleb' last='Brown'], [player_tooltip player_id='498273' first='Phillip' last='White'], and [player_tooltip player_id='401621' first='Leon' last='Howard'].  All of these front seven players lived in the backfield vs both the run and pass in this game.  Sophomore defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1335357' first='Raheem' last='Floyd'] was the star on the backend with an interception along with a couple of pass break ups in the endzone.  Mizzou commit [player_tooltip player_id='176242' first='Charles' last='Bass'] did a nice job controlling the game at his safety spot.   Geneva's star wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='278883' first='Talyn' last='Taylor'] still got his going up against a loaded Flyers defense. The state's top pass catcher is headed to Georgia. He scored a touchdown faking his man in then fading to the outside for the catch. Also made some excellent cuts on crisp routes to set up catches in the intermediate game. Adjusts well to the ball in the air and has great hands. Went for 116 yards and a touchdown on 8 catches. [player_tooltip player_id='1572542' first='Finnegan' last='Weppner'] is a 6'1” pass catcher that high pointed balls along with scrambling to find space in the endzone when he saw his QB was on the move for a score as he had 111 yards and a touchdown. Saw potential in 2027 wide out [player_tooltip player_id='1598846' first='Bennett' last='Konkey'] making contested catches on the regular along with getting YAC. Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='252482' first='Tony' last='Chahino'] showed a ton of toughness in this game. He held up against the rush by getting the ball out despite having defenders coming at him consistently. Strong arm, throws well on the run, and can definitely play at a small college! Finished his career going for 323 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.   Mt. Carmel Three Peats with Win in 7A Championship over Batavia   The Caravan would not be denied their three-peat either.  Mt. Carmel led 14-0 before Batavia even ran an offensive play.  Batavia would get it within a possession during the second quarter, but from that point on the Caravan defense locked in and offense kept scoring winning by a final of 55-34.   Vanderbilt senior quarterback commit [player_tooltip player_id='131488' first='Jack' last='Elliott'] played like one of the best players in the state on the biggest stage. He has been there before and it showed. The quarterback was excellent throwing it downfield on the run. The zip he put on his throws vertically on the run to his right was super impressive. Made throws on schedule and off schedule equally well. Also was able to do damage running with his legs when plays broke down. The player of the year candidate passed for 301 yards on 16/26 for 6 touchdowns while also running for 115 yards and 1 touchdown. He has so many weapons to get the ball to. His favorite seemed to be [player_tooltip player_id='1564094' first='Cooper' last='Lehman']. Sure handed pass catcher that made both possession catches along with ones down the field for scores. Finished with 114 yards and a touchdown on 5 catches. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='432197' first='Quentin' last='Burrell'] has a super high ceiling. Explosive wide out had a pair of touchdowns on a scramble route along with an acrobatic grab in the endzone. In the win he had 3 grabs for 46 yards and a pair of scores. Another underclassmen to track is 2028 long and lanky Marshaun Thornton who has star written all over him with his deep speed and strong hands. In the last game of his freshman campaign he had 2 catches for 50 yards. [player_tooltip player_id='1292849' first='Zander' last='Gorman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1524594' first='Stephen' last='Winkler'] also had touchdown catches.   Defensively their front three lived up to the hype.  It is hard to think there is a better freshman in the state than Mt. Carmel defensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1682021' first='Caleb' last='Tucker'].  He might have been the best prospect on the field.  He is a mammoth human that plays with a consistent motor putting pressure on the pocket and not allowing any runs on the interior.  USC 2026 defensive end commit [player_tooltip player_id='270192' first='Braeden' last='Jones'] is a big time edge rusher who showed it off with his fluidity getting after the quarterback from his blindside all night.  Explosive broad shouldered edge with a ton of physical and athletic upside.  One of the best 2026s in the class.  As is [player_tooltip player_id='1538329' first='Joey' last='Quinn'] who rushed on the other side of Jones and is a stud 2026 prospect in his own right.  The linebackers were very good as well especially [player_tooltip player_id='1292234' first='Matt' last='Mucha'] who was a tackling machine.  Senior corner [player_tooltip player_id='830845' first='Le'Javier' last='Payne'] had quite a game with a kickoff return for a touchdown along with an interception.   Batavia might have lost, but they sure found their quarterback of the future in [player_tooltip player_id='1598818' first='Michael' last='Vander Luitgaren'].  The 2027 signal caller barely played this season, but after making a few plays early on they didn't rotate QBs sticking with Vander Luitgaren and he did absolutely everything he could do in the contest.  Showed a rocket for an arm, plus athleticism making throws throwing to his right with accuracy, and a ton of poise.  Very bright future for him as he notched 390 yards passing on 29/47 for 3 touchdowns and one interception.  Also picked up 44 yards on the ground.  [player_tooltip player_id='1585213' first='Brett' last='Berggren'] was his favorite target reeling in three touchdowns total for 191 yards.  [player_tooltip player_id='401606' first='Greyson' last='Kelly'] is a versatile weapon that lined up all over the field taking wildcat snaps, running back carries, along with catching passes.  Like his future as a 2026 prospect.  Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1362880' first='Isaiah' last='Brown'] is a slick wide receiver who did a nice job making catches along with drawing penalties in the game.  Tough nosed running back [player_tooltip player_id='1572562' first='Nathan' last='Whitwell'] churned out 17 carries for 67 yards and a score.   Loyola Repeats the Repeat of the 3-Peat   Because of so many penalties in the previous few games this one kicked off almost two hours late, but York began the 8A final against Loyola with a bang as their star running back [player_tooltip player_id='1572567' first='Jimmy' last='Conners'] ripped off a 74 yard touchdown to give York an early lead.  From that point on it was pretty much all Loyola as the Ramblers played solid on both sides of the ball winning 35-14 capturing their third state title in a row.   For Loyola you have to start with their Iowa commits at quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1292076' first='Ryan' last='Fitzgerald'] and running back Drew MacPhearson.  They led the way in their final game at Loyola.  Fitzgerald is a big and sturdy quarterback that makes plays with both his arm and legs.  He was most effective throwing fades to the corner for multiple touchdowns.  Such great touch on his throws and can let it rip when he needs to.  Finished his epic career going 12/21 for 160 yards and 3 scores through the air.  Also added 7 carries for 47 yards on the ground.  Macpherson is such a versatile athlete that will most likely play defense for the Hawkeyes, but he shined as a running back that used his speed to get on the edge for big plays on the ground along with utilizing his soft hands in space as a pass catcher.  His final stat line read 19 carries for 150 yards and 2 rushing scores along with 4 catches and 41 receiving yards to go with another touchdown.  Physical senior pass catcher Gavin Vradenburg was Fitzgerald's favorite target catching 5 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in the win.  Senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='537272' first='Will' last='Carlson'] and Miami (OH) tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1292068' first='Brendan' last='Loftus'] had key catches as well.   Defensively up front [player_tooltip player_id='1292131' first='Tommy' last='Ghislandi'] was a force against the run.  Strong bodied defensive end that made plays in the backfield.  Good frame and strength.  Heart and soul of their defense.  His fellow Army commit [player_tooltip player_id='1564787' first='Charlie' last='Daly'] led the team in tackling with 12 flying to the ball from his linebacker spot.  Top 10 senior safety [player_tooltip player_id='1291979' first='Donovan' last='Robinson'] didn't have his name called because they didn't even come close to throwing it near him or kicking/punting close to him.  That is true respect of a game changing player!   After Connors went down with an injury everything was on quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='832150' first='Bruno' last='Massel']'s shoulders.  The spirited leader gave them a spark with his running.  Super quick and fast athlete that is on the smaller side.  Slippery with the rock and made guys miss, but couldn't carry the load against a power like Loyola by himself.  Put up 141 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 17 carries (8.3 YPC).  Class of 2026 tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1585186' first='Simon' last='Kodosky'] was his most reliable pass catcher as Bruno found him for 3 catches and 55 yards.

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