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Scouting the Class 5A football championship game

By Dave Oberhelman

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

Class 5A championship

10 a.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium in Champaign

Montini (10-3) vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin (13-0)

Scouting Montini: In the playoffs for the 27th time, including 22 straight appearances, the Broncos are playing in a seventh state championship game. Montini won Class 4A in 2004 and the 5A title four straight seasons from 2009-12 before losing 38-28 to Sacred Heart-Griffin in last year's title game. Co-champion of the Chicago Catholic League Green Conference, the Broncos began 1-2 with losses to Maine South and St. Rita, and lost their Week 7 game at St. Francis.

Scouting Sacred Heart-Griffin: In the playoffs a 35th time and 15 straight seasons, the Cyclones also are in their seventh title game. Sacred Heart won 5A titles in 2005 and 2006 and a 6A crown in 2008 before adding another 5A title last year over Montini. Champion of the Central State Eight, the Cyclones have won 27 straight games since losing to eventual 2012 5A runner-up Morris in the semifinals. All 13 of Sacred Heart's games have been "running clock" victories - 40-point margins beginning or during the second half of play.

Road to the championship: Montini, a No. 6 seed in the northern bracket of Class 5A, beat No. 11 DuSable 56-8, No. 3 Joliet Catholic 27-13, No. 15 Marian Central 23-13 and No. 1 Geneseo 52-15. Sacred Heart-Griffin, a No. 1 seed in the regionalized lower bracket, beat No. 8 Jersey 49-7. No. 4 Marion 42-0, No. 3 Taylorville 63-14 and No. 1 Peoria 49-21.

Coaches: Montini coach Chris Andriano is in his 36th year of coaching, all at Montini. A 2001 inductee into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, he has a lifetime record of 279-123. In nonconference openers from 2002-09, Montini went 2-6 against Griffin. Andriano's sixth straight title game appearance is a state record. Sacred Heart-Griffin coach Ken Leonard, a 2006 IHSFCA Hall of Fame inductee, is in his 35th year with the Cyclones with a record of 337-66. Leonard's son, Derek, is the coach at Rochester and attempting to win a fifth straight Class 4A championship, which in Illinois would follow only Driscoll's seven straight titles from 2001-07.

Starting offenses:

Montini Sacred Heart-Griffin

Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.

Chuck Norgle 6-3 210 Sr. QB Gabe Green 6-2 205 Sr.

Prince Walker 5-10 180 So. RB Anthony DiNello 6-0 220 Sr.

Justin Blake 6-2 180 Jr. WR Sam Bonansinga 5-10 175 Jr.

Leon Thornton III 6-2 200 Sr. WR Brendan Stannard 5-10 175 Sr.

Tyler Millikan 6-3 190 Jr. WR Dylan Londrigan 5-8 160 Sr.

Patrick Maloney 5-10 185 Sr. WR Albert Okweugbunam 6-5 215 Jr.

Grant Branch 6-4 280 Sr. LT Michael Zeigler 6-5 245 Sr.

Mario Galli 6-0 250 Sr. LG Nick Martin 6-2 250 Sr.

Sam Detmers 6-0 195 Jr. C Doug Maroon 5-10 230 Jr.

Michael Johnson 6-4 315 Sr. RG John Fischer 6-4 290 Jr.

Joe Spivak 6-1 270 So. RT Quinn Oselund 6-7 305 Sr.

Mason Weissenhofer 6-2 185 Sr. K Cody Bowman 6-1 240 Sr.

Starting defenses:

Montini Sacred Heart-Griffin

Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.

Patrick Howard 6-1 210 Sr. DE Michael Zeigler 6-5 245 Sr..

Mark Salvo 6-4 210 Sr. DT Tommy Wilson 5-10 235 Sr.

Joe Spivak 6-1 270 So. DT/E Albert Okweugbunam 6-5 215 Jr..

Eric Kibbey 6-1 230 Sr. DE/LBD.J. Mackey 6-1 245 Jr.

Terrell Johnson 6-1 210 Sr. LB John Morgan 6-0 235 Sr.

John Embrey 6-0 220 Jr. MLB Cody Bowman 6-1 240 Sr.

Sam Asta 5-9 180 Sr. LB/S Cole Hillestad 5-10 195 Sr.

Michael Reilley 6-3 180 Sr. SS Kyle Espejo 5-8 170 Sr.

Alex Floeckher 6-0 180 Sr. FS Sean Mason 6-0 185 Sr.

Mitch West 5-10 165 So. CB Sam Bonansinga 5-10 175 Jr.

Michael Hollingshed 6-1 185 Sr. CB Avery Andrews 6-0 180 Jr.

Mason Weissenhofer 6-2 185 Sr. P Gabe Green 6-2 205 Sr.

When Montini has the ball: The spread offense is where the Broncos need to make hay. Norgle has completed 205 of 317 passes for 2,831 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He'll take shots downfield, but as the scheme suggests, spreads defenses passing to Indiana-bound Thornton, who has 61 receptions for 873 yards, 10 touchdowns; bubble-screen target Maloney, 51 catches, 517 yards, 4 touchdowns; semifinal hero Millikan with 48 catches for 824 yards, 6 touchdowns; and contributors Blake and Stephen Dennis. Norgle is a pocket passer, so line protection is key. Particularly in the red zone the Broncos have used Thornton in a Wildcat formation; he's run for 101 yards and 4 touchdowns. After 78 net rushing yards in last year's championship the Broncos need to get better there. Walker is a year stronger than he was in 2013 and benefits from Embrey at fullback. Walker's gained 1,032 yards, 6.1 a carry, with 16 touchdowns and 3 touchdown receptions. One more touchdown makes Walker Montini's sixth player with 20 in a season. Montini averages 34 points a game while Sacred Heart-Griffin allows an average of 8.8. Mackey and Bowman lead the Cyclones in tackles with 107 and 101, respectively. Griffin has 22 interceptions and a plus-20 turnover ratio. Andriano said last year Griffin mainly played a 3-4 set, its blitzes causing confusion.

When Sacred Heart-Griffin has the ball: Left-handed quarterback Green, who'll play his 41st game, committed to Southern Mississippi and coach Todd Monken, of Wheaton. Green is 160-of-212 passing for 2,630 yards, 36 touchdowns, 2 interceptions. He has thrown for 7,867 yards, sixth all-time, and 95 touchdowns, fifth all-time, with 8 interceptions. It was Green's 145 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns that ruined Montini's 21-7 lead after one quarter last year. Though it's a spread offense Griffin likes to run, and Green hurt Montini with his option reads. Green, Sergent and DiNello, the rushing touchdowns leader with 21, all have between 765 and 904 yards rushing without much second-half action. They obviously can pass: Londrigan has 36 receptions for 613 yards, 4 touchdowns, Bonansinga 41 catches, 642 yards, 11 touchdowns. Another deep threat is Okweugbunam, whose 10 touchdowns have come on 27 catches, averaging 17.8 yards. The line is an experienced group headed by Minnesota-bound Oselund and college prospect Ziegler. Griffin averages nearly 53 points - outscoring teams 542-62 in the first half - while Montini allows nearly 18. The Broncos' 4-3 set is led by hard-hitting Embrey with 141 tackles and Johnson with 107 plus a team-high 6 interceptions. Reilley mans the middle of the secondary with 62 tackles and both West and Hollingshed are solid in perimeter coverage, West with 5 interceptions. Montini, plus-9 in turnover ratio, will be challenged to win the line of scrimmage without over-penetrating against read-option and counter plays.

Intangibles: Field position is huge. Montini has a weapon in Weissenhofer, a Northwestern "greyshirt" who has 32 touchbacks on kickoffs, averages 35 yards a punt and has made 11 of 15 field goals. Against Griffin's massive offense Montini has to make this a four-quarter game. This is the Broncos' first true title-game underdog role since 2009. Andriano believes Montini was "out-schemed" last year; adjustments are crucial. "Not many teams get a second chance," he said.

- Dave Oberhelman

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