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Football: Week 9 MVPs

Addison Trail junior running back Mike Hundley and Aurora Christian senior defensive back Jacolby Maxwell have earned Daily Herald MVP honors for their high school football performances in Week 9.

Hundley rushed for 301 yards in helping the Blazers beat Willowbrook to clinch an outright conference championship in the West Suburban Gold, while Maxwell had 3 interceptions (along with 3 receiving touchdowns) to help the Eagles top Leo and gain a playoff berth.

OFFENSE

Mike Hundley, Addison Trail: The 5-foot-9, 165-pound junior running back dominated between the tackles while leading the Blazers to a 27-17 West Suburban Conference win over Willowbrook. Hundley helped Addison Trail clinch the outright Gold title by rushing for 301 yards on 30 carries, including touchdowns of 18 and 94 yards.

Brandon Babler, Aurora Central Catholic: The 6-foot, 165-pound senior running back ruled on special teams in the Chargers' 49-28 Metro Suburban West win over Wheaton Academy. He scored on an 83-yard return of the opening kick and on a 91-yard punt return. Babler added 28- and 46-yard touchdown grabs among 5 catches for 115 yards.

Matt Kielbasa, Hampshire: This 6-foot-2, 280-pound junior plays center and handles kickoffs for Hampshire, but he played another role in a 15-12 victory over Woodstock. After the Whip-Purs made a fair catch of a punt at the Woodstock 31-yard line with 13.4 seconds left, Kielbasa stepped in for Hampshire's injured field goal kicker and booted an unobstructed free kick off a tee for the game-winning 42-yard field goal.

Ben Klett, Lake Zurich: Big, Ben. In a must-win game, the junior running back delivered his most productive performance of the season. He rushed for a career-high 200 yards on 28 carries and scored 3 touchdowns, as the Bears earned a postseason berth with a 38-21 win over Vernon Hills.

Justice Macneal-Smith, Schaumburg: The standout running back finished with a game that typified his senior season. He ran for 132 yards, scored 3 touchdowns and also caught a pass for 19 yards as the Saxons gave MSL West champ Palatine a challenge before falling short 45-35. Macneal-Smith finished the season with 1,003 yards rushing and averaged 5.1 yards per carry.

DEFENSE

Jacolby Maxwell, Aurora Christian: Leading the Eagles to their crucial fifth win, the 5-foot-9, 155-pound senior set the tone in a 49-35 Chicago Catholic League White win over Leo. At safety and cornerback Maxwell made 3 first-half interceptions, 2 of which set up touchdowns. Playing receiver, Maxwell also caught 3 touchdown passes.

Nick DeMaira, Westminster Christian: It was no coincidence that Westminster Christian posted its only 2 shutouts of the season after this 5-foot-10, 165-pound linebacker returned from injury late in the season. Against North Shore Country Day, the junior led the defense with 10 tackles as the Warriors won their second straight game.

Cole Iwema, Warren: Cool, Cole. The senior strong safety made sure the Blue Devils didn't cool off heading into the postseason, as he had 2 interceptions in a 42-0 win over Zion-Benton. It was the second shutout in three games for Warren, which won its sixth game in a row.

Jack Lunkes, Conant: This junior linebacker picked a great time to start making picks. Lunkes had three of them in a 24-16 victory over Hoffman Estates - and all three happened in the fourth quarter. The last one came deep in Cougars territory with less than 20 seconds left as the Hawks were driving for a potential tying score.

Derrek Warkenthien, Neuqua Valley: The sparkplug linebacker, ranging from sideline to sideline all season, led the Wildcats' defensive effort in a 28-14 Upstate Eight Valley win over Metea Valley. The 5-foot-9, 210-pound senior made a team-high 15 tackles. They included 2 tackles for loss and a sack on a key third-down play.

Brandon Babler
Matt Kielbasa
Ben Klett
Justice Macneal-Young
Jacolby Maxwell
Nick DeMaira
Cole Iwema
Jack Lunkes
Derrek Warkenthien
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