Montini thinking four titles just not enough
The Drive for Five is alive.
Four-time defending Class 5A champion Montini earned a shot at a fifth straight state title with a 42-20 victory over previously unbeaten Sycamore on Saturday at Duffy Memorial Field in Lombard.
Montini quarterback Alex Wills threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for 2 to lead Montini (13-0) into next week's 5A title game against 13-0 Sacred Heart-Griffin, a 44-14 winner over Washington.
“We're one step away. I hope we can get it done,” said Montini coach Chris Andriano, 5-0 in the postseason against Sycamore.
They may be without all-state middle linebacker Mike Maduko. The three-year starter and leading tackler left at 9:20 of the fourth quarter with what Andriano suspected was a torn left knee ligament on a blocked Sycamore conversion kick.
“We're just going to go out there next week and hopefully they dominate the state game and we get our fifth state title,” Maduko said as he left the field on crutches.
The injury weighed heavily on his teammates.
“I'm a little emotional,” said outside linebacker Tyler Quick, who joined Mike Reilly and Derrick Curry in intercepting Sycamore quarterback Devin Mottet.
“One of our top leaders, a captain of our defense, is out right now and it's a lot to be worried about because he's a great leader on our defense. So a lot of kids are going to have step up now, it's going to be big,” Quick said.
Quick's interception helped No. 1 seed Montini post a 14-0 first-quarter lead over the second-seeded Spartans (12-1).
On the Broncos' first possession Wills completed 5 passes, the last to Tyler Tumpane on a 7-yard bubble screen to score. Montini then blended in runs by tailback Nikko Italia to set up Wills' 6-yard touchdown run.
“They could have beaten us last year,” Italia said of Montini's 24-22 second-round win, “so we said to ourselves, we need to come out and we need to start striking.”
Sycamore got a needed break after punter Logan Schneider backed up Montini to its 1-yard line. A play later Iowa-bound Ben Niemann ran in a Broncos fumble out to trim the lead to 14-7 at 10:10 of the second quarter.
Undaunted, Montini drove 78 yards downfield to score on Wills' 6-yard pass to quarterfinal hero Stephen Dennis, pushing the lead back to 21-7.
Mottet's 7-yard touchdown pass to Chris Malone with 1:20 left in the second quarter seemed to have Sycamore in decent shape for the second half. Then Montini capped a 9-play drive with usual linebacker Nile Sykes' 2-yard plunge 9.5 seconds before halftime for a 28-14 lead.
Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said that one really hurt.
“We just weren't able to get some stops,” he said. “If we could have got some stops, with our inability at times on offense then it's a little bit different game. But they were rolling really well offensively.”
Wills threw to tight end Matt Brachmann for a 7-yard touchdown on Montini's first possession of the third quarter. Sycamore's Dion Hooker, who ran for 90 yards, scored on a 3-yarder at 9:20 of the fourth but by then trading scores didn't cut it.
Ryan said Montini's defense was the best he's faced all year. Maduko's possible loss adds extra fire to the Drive for Five.
“Seeing one of our close friends and our brothers down just makes it so much more worthwhile, playing for somebody who really wants it and deserves it more than anybody else,” said defensive end Dylan Thompson.