After Samson Evans rushed for his seventh touchdown of the afternoon, he lay in the end zone, cramps shooting through his left leg.
The Prairie Ridge quarterback took the rest of the game off for some well-deserved recovery time, after his 245 rushing yards led the No. 4 Wolves to a 51-24 win against Montini in a Class 6A second-round playoff game in Lombard.
“I actually feel really good right now,” Evans said after the game. “It was just a little bit of cramps. Nothing too bad.”
Evans and his teammates ended Montini’s remarkable run of seven consecutive appearances in the state championship game, five of which ended with titles. The Broncos (7-4) also saw their home win streak snapped at 30, since a Week 2 loss to Lincoln-Way East in 2012.
The Wolves (11-0) will host Lake Forest in the quarterfinals.
Montini scored first, on a 33-yard field goal by Michael Cooney that was set up by two long runs after short receptions by Prince Walker. Evans ended the next seven Prairie Ridge possessions with rushing touchdowns of 13, 22, 4, 4, 58, 1 and 44 yards. He also had a 99-yard kick return called back by penalty.
“They have an unbelievable, special quarterback,” said Montini coach Chris Andriano, who earned his 300th win in the first round. “He was everything he was advertised as and more.”
Montini pulled within 28-10 on Matt Morrissey’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Alex Luka with 5 minutes, 18 seconds left in the second quarter, but two more Evans scores made it 42-10 at halftime. The junior QB’s final TD run made it 51-10 and started the running clock 4 minutes into the second half.
“He’s such a beast,” said Prairie Ridge two-way lineman Jeff Jenkins, who had two sacks. “He’s just special. It makes you excited to block for him because any play could be a big one.”
“Those are the guys we want to play against, to see how we stack up,” said Montini lineman Joe Spivak, a three-year captain. “He was the best guy on the field today, and they were the better team. They’re going to run the table, and that’s the way it should be because they have the best team this year.”
Twitter @Larkin_Will
Player of the game: Samson Evans, Prairie Ridge, 22 carries, 245 yards, 7 TDs.
Key performers: Prairie Ridge — Jeff Jenkins, 2 sacks. Montini — Matt Morrissey, 12-21 passing, 264 yards, 2 TDs; Christian Pirog, 4 receptions, 56 yards, TD.
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