Matchup: State final in 8A, top-seeded Loyola (13-0) vs. 23rd-seeded Marist (9-4), 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at Northern Illinois’ Huskie Stadium
How they got here: Loyola beat Palatine 24-22, and Marist beat Waubonsie Valley 31-16
Semifinal round recap: Loyola experienced a roller-coaster ride of a football game on Saturday, Nov. 21, in Palatine. The Ramblers trailed 9-0, led 24-9 and had to hold off the Pirates in the final minutes. Palatine scored 13 points in a 66-second span, but Loyola senior safety Bobby Desherow’s deflection in the end zone on Palatine’s two-point pass preserved Loyola’s lead. The Ramblers ran out the final 2:33. The key play was a 25-yard catch by senior receiver Thomas Smart from senior quarterback Emmett Clifford on third-and-3 at the 1:58 mark. Clifford finished 16-for-20 for 174 yards and one touchdown. Senior running back Dara Laja had 34 carries for 209 yards. His 36-yard touchdown run gave the Ramblers a 14-9 lead at the half. Junior quarterback/receiver Jake Marwede played his most complete game of the season, running for one touchdown and catching another. On defense, senior cornerback Sam Taylor and senior linebacker Cross Daffada had interceptions and junior cornerback Ian Swenson had a fumble recovery. Loyola’s defense gave up two touchdowns. The Ramblers surrendered a safety and a touchdown after two high snaps on punts. Loyola did a good job of containing Palatine quarterback Zach Oles. The junior threw for 210 yards and one touchdown and rushed 14 times for 39 yards and another score. But the Ramblers sacked him three times and forced him into three turnovers.
Loyola stat leaders:
QB: Clifford, 174-for-247 (70.4 percent), 2,353 Yd, 9.5 Yds/Att, 32 TD, 5 INT
RB: Laja, 254 Att, 1,702 Yds, 6.7 Avg, 20 TD
WR: Smart, 55 Rec, 729 Yds, 13.3 Avg, 11 TD
Defense: Sr. DL Ben LeRoy, 81 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks; Desherow, 8 pass break-ups, 2 INT, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble, 4 tackles for loss
Getting to know Marist: Based on record and seed, the RedHawks are an unlikely candidate to advance to the last game of the season. They went 5-4 during the regular season, finished sixth in the East Suburban Catholic and earned the 23rd seed. But looking deeper, it’s clear they played a schedule that prepared them for the postseason. Marist’s quality opponents included Benet, Joliet Catholic, Mount Carmel, Nazareth and Notre Dame. Those teams have a combined record of 44-12, and Nazareth is in the Class 5A title game. This is Marist’s third appearance in a state final, and first since taking second to Maine South in Class 8A in 2009. The RedHawks also finished second in Class 6A in 1986. They are led by senior Brendan Skalitzky. The dual-threat quarterback has thrown for more than 3,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 to help the RedHawks average 37.9 points a game and 7.5 yards per play. In the win over Waubonsie Valley in the semifinals, he had 187 yards and one touchdown on the ground and 111 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Skalitzky’s top target is senior receiver Liam Keffer, who caught two touchdowns in the semifinal. But senior Darshon McCullough and senior Seamus Glascott also are receiving threats. McCullough has 63 catches for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Glascott has 63 catches for 713 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, the RedHawks allow 28.2 points a game. They surrendered 56 to Barrington in the second round. Senior lineman John Carmody, junior lineman Diata Drayton and junior defensive back Bobby Gorman are Marist players to watch on that side of the ball.
Marist stat leaders:
QB: Skalitzky, 259-for-393 (65.9 percent), 3,529 Yds, 9.0 Yds/Att, 38 TD, 9 INT; 1,067 rush yards, 9 TD
RB: McCullough, 121 Att, 607 Yds, 5.0 Avg, 9 TD
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WR: Keffer, 91 Rec, 1,380 Yds, 15.2 Avg, 12 TD
Defense: Jr. LB Micah Awodiran, 119 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
Loyola coach John Holecek’s take: “They are a big, talented team with a quarterback that can run and throw. Their offensive line is physical and big. Their wide receivers all look good, and they have a fast running back. … They have big guys up front on defense who can all run. … It will be another huge test. … They got tested during the season, and they know what they do well now.”
Sound bite: “Everyone was all over the place on the bus [ride back to Loyola after beating Palatines]. Excited. Relieved. It was hard to name just one emotion we all were feeling. It’s going to be a lot of fun playing for a state title.” — Clifford
Twitter: @harnesspreps