Week 9: Kaneland's Douglas, Buffalo Grove's Sheasby earn MVP honor
OFFENSE
Jack Douglas, Kaneland: The Knights (6-3) sealed a playoff berth with the help of this 6-foot-2, 185-pound quarterback. The senior completed 10 passes in a 55-10 Northern Illinois Big 12 crossover victory over Ottawa, half of which went for touchdowns. Fully recovered from a midseason injury that forced him to miss 2 games, Douglas tossed scoring strikes of 17, 25, 25, 68 and 62 yards to finish with 257 passing yards and no interceptions.
D.J. Angelaccio, Palatine: The Pirates needed a win in their regular-season home finale to avoid a tough playoff draw, and this senior QB made sure they got it in a 30-7 victory over Hoffman Estates in MSL West play. Angelaccio rushed for 43 yards and 4 touchdowns, and he was effective in the passing game as well, finishing 19-for-25 for 232 yards without an interception.
A.J. Deinhart, Naperville Central: Deinhart's surge in the second half of the season continued in the Redhawks' 35-21 victory over Lake Park. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior running back helped Naperville Central claim the outright DuPage Valley Conference championship by rushing for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns on 29 carries.
Micah Jones, Warren: Be like Micah. The big wide receiver produced a big effort. And that was large for the Blue Devils, who clinched a playoff berth after a rare postseason miss last year. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Jones, a senior and Notre Dame commit, had all 3 of his team's touchdowns in a 21-14 win over host Stevenson. His 4-catch night included TD receptions of 15, 19 and 10 yards.
DEFENSE
Zach Sheasby, Buffalo Grove: The Bison charged into the playoffs with a full head of steam thanks to Sheasby's fourth-quarter heroics. In a 22-16 victory against Rolling Meadows, Sheasby first put Buffalo Grove ahead for good with a 22-yard TD reception, then made the defensive play of the game with a drive-ending interception as the Mustangs threatened to score. As a receiver, Sheasby finished with 5 catches for 58 yards.
Jayleen Fitzpatrick, Glenbard North: His team needing a win for playoff consideration, this 5-11, 215-pound senior linebacker helped land the bid in a 24-14 win at Neuqua Valley. Fitzpatrick made 9 tackles, 3 for loss, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 1. At running back he gained 98 yards on 24 carries with touchdowns of 16 and 3 yards.
Mike McDonough, Wauconda: Be like Mike. The Bulldogs had a rough start to the season after making the playoffs the last two years, as they started 0-6. The senior safety helped his team end the season on a positive note. He had a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions, as the Bulldogs defeated visiting Grayslake Central 30-14 for their second win of the season.
Justin Allen, Huntley: This senior disrupted McHenry's offensive game plan throughout Huntley's 45-7 Fox Valley Conference victory. The 5-foot-11, 220-pound defensive lineman led the Red Raiders to their eighth regular-season victory by recording a team-best 7 solo tackles, 6 solo. His 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss helped limit the Warriors to 71 rushing yards and 223 total yards.