Homewood-Flossmoor will not defend its Class 6A championship in the state playoffs this year.
Joliet (4-5, 3-4) denied the Vikings (5-4, 3-4) that opportunity Friday night in Flossmoor, winning the SICA Blue game 19-12.
Louis Lott rushed for two second-half touchdowns and Mark Bortoli intercepted a Ryan Harper pass with 13 seconds left to ensure the victory.
“The kids have been waiting for this game the whole year,” said Joliet coach Alan Greenberg, whose team closed the season with three straight victories. “It was especially big for the seniors.”
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Homewood-Flossmoor drove to the Joliet 3 before Bortoli’s interception.
St. Charles 14, Waubonsie Valley 6: Kevin Cahoon and Tyler Evans rushed for touchdowns as St. Charles (8-1, 7-1) earned a share of the Upstate Eight crown and prevented Waubonsie from making the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
Hinsdale South 27, Leyden 0: Hinsdale South (7-2, 5-1) held Leyden to minus-20 yards of offense and one first down in the first half to win the West Suburban Gold game and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1991. Brian Rupsis rushed for 115 yards and two TDs to lead the offense.
“This feels great because we were the 6-3 team that didn’t make the playoffs the last two years,” said Hinsdale South coach Jim Kirwan.
Maine West 22, Deerfield 0: Maine West (5-4, 3-2) spoiled the playoff hopes of Deerfield (6-3, 3-2) with a superb defensive effort, holding its opponent to 86 total yards in the shutout. Hector Castellanos (23 carries, 117 yards) scored twice in the second quarter on runs of 3 and 22 yards for West in the Central Suburban South matchup.
“This was our playoff game,” said Maine West coach Ray Pettenuzzo. “There was no way we were going to let them win on our field.”
Lake Park 24, DeKalb 18: Mark Schellerer (18 carries, 150 yards) scored his third touchdown on the first play of overtime after Lake Park (8-1, 7-1) had held DeKalb on downs to take the Upstate Eight game. DeKalb’s Ben MacIntyre had scored his second TD of the game with 1:41 left to force overtime.
“I thought we shot ourselves in the foot with ,” said Lake Park coach Andy Livingston, whose team tied with St. Charles for the Upstate Eight crown.
Bishop McNamara 40, St. Francis de Sales 6: Bishop Mac’s Lee Lafayette rambled for 120 yards and three touchdowns and Ryan Laurenti scored on a 3-yard run and a 34-yard reception from Jeff Schroeder as the Irish (7-2, 3-2) clinched a playoff berth with a Catholic League South victory.
Joliet Catholic 39, St. Patrick 0: Five different runners scored and Mark Pullara recovered a fumble in the end zone as Joliet Catholic (7-2, 7-0) cruised to the win and the East Suburban Catholic title. James Randle (12 yards), Adam Stone (19 yards), Quentin Coleman (six yards), George Buck (35 yards) and Andy Popek (two yards) each reached the end zone for the Hilltoppers.
Kankakee 36, Crete-Monee 0: Lorenzo Smith rushed 18 times for 101 yards and Roy Session ran for 70 yards and passed for another 71 as Kanakee (6-3, 5-2) clinched a playoff berth with the SICA Orange victory.
Crystal Lake Central 36, Crystal Lake South 34: Jeff Chiles 20-yard TD pass to Matt Stodola in the third quarter was the game-winner, as Central (5-4, 4-3) pulled off the Fox Valley upset. Chiles and Stodola also connected on bombs of 78 and 80 yards for the Tigers.
Kaneland 34, Lemont 13: Kaneland’s Dan Kenny rushed for 232 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, including scoring runs of 93 and 73 yards, as the Knights (8-1, 6-1) prevailed in the Suburban Prairie White.
Tinley Park 35, Thornton Fractional North 12: Cory Farr scored on a 85-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and an 85-yard run in the second to lead Tinley Park (5-4, 2-3) in the SICA Green.
Larkin 40, Elgin 0: Sophomore Vince Webber scored on punt returns of 48 and 60 yards and added two 1-yard TD runs as Larkin finished at 6-2 in the Upstate Eight, 7-2 overall. For the fourth straight game Larkin scored on its first play from scrimmage–this time on a 38-yard pass from Joel Castillo (117 yards passing, two TDs) to Chad Bartlett.
Bremen 24, Rich South 8: Jon Cline scored two TDs and Matt Verble had a 43-yard punt return for a score as Bremen (6-3, 6-0) capped its unbeaten SICA Green season.
Reavis 7, Andrew 6: Reavis (6-3, 5-2) kept its playoff hopes alive with the SICA Gray triumph, clinched when Tony Stone capped an 88-yard, 13-play drive with a 5-yard run with 9:26 to play. Vincent Annel led Reavis with 103 yards. Stone had 73.
Plainfield 30, Riverside-Brookfield 13: Plainfield (4-5, 4-3) ran off three straight scores in the third and fourth quarters to knock R-B (5-4, 4-3) from the playoffs. Jared Brooks (17 carries, 109 yards) scored on runs of 3, 4 and 9 yards to lead the Wildcats in the Suburban Prairie Red.
Marian Catholic 13, Notre Dame 0: Steve Zemlan ran back a blocked punt by Matt Thomas and Bill Murnighan (31 carries, 114 yards) added a 1-yarder in the fourth quarter as Marian (6-3, 6-1) prevailed in the East Suburban Catholic to keep its playoff hopes alive. John LaRock did it defensively, registering a sack and two interceptions for the Spartans.
Minooka 21, Batavia 0: Kyle Stevens scored three TDs as Minooka (6-3, 4-2) won the Suburban Prairie Red game to wrap up a playoff berth.
Willowbrook 22, Morton 12: Bob Palm rushed 18 times for 155 yards and a touchdown and Justin Hollmann hit on nine of 17 pass attempts for 98 yards as Willowbrook (5-4, 4-2) prevailed in the West Suburban Gold.
Public League playoffs: Kelly (5-4), a 28th seed, blanked fifth-seeded Foreman 26-0 as Dione Jelks rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns at Hanson Stadium. Freshman Vince Mendoza completed the only pass he threw for a 40-yard score to John Lopez and Stanley Peat added 92 yards and a touchdown.
Dunbar (7-2) roared to a 52-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 62-0 victory over Wells. Alvin Forbes ran for 322 yards and seven touchdowns on 13 carries. Forbes scored on runs of 2, 9, 10, 36, 50, 55 and 78 yards.
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No. 2 seed Chicago Vocational (9-0) beat Senn 42-8 as Cassius Kurns rushed for 131 yards and three scores and Demetrio Perry added 109 yards and a TD. “Cassius Kurns is a playoff player,” said CVS coach Chuck Chambers. “This is his time of year.”
In other games, South Shore (6-3) beat Crane 47-14 as Melvin Thomas rushed for 187 yards and three TDs and David Cheatum added 135 yards rushing. . . . Hubbard (6-3) dropped King 13-6 as Tim Greer scored on a 27-yard run and Jeremiah Bennett returned the second-half kickoff 73 yards for the winning score. . . . Curie (6-3) beat Calumet 35-18 as Terrance Tate rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown. . . . Lake View (8-1) used Michael Clemens’ 30-yard scoring pass and 53-yard scoring run–both in the fourth quarter–to beat Westinghouse 14-6. . . . Teunto Washington tackled Hyde Park’s quarterback in the end zone as Robeson (7-2) pitched a 2-0 shutout. . . . Morgan Park (6-3) handed Clemente its second loss, winning 38-0 behind Ashlee Frazier’s two touchdown runs.