Great Semi-Final games!

[ESCC fan]

2018 CG down 21-20 to Notre Dame in late Q4 intercepts in the end zone and drives back to score with 20 seconds left. CG ekes it out 28-21 and goes on to 6A title.

Trigger warning please.

That was a classic game. Sold out stadium in Niles. Cold November Saturday. Ty Gavin basically playing on one leg. Hard-hitting, disciplined teams. After CG scored and the final whistle blew, I saw there for a good 20 minutes in stunned silence. Thought the Dons had them.

 

[mchsalumni]

2015 Prairie Ridge - Montini.

Schremp from PR wouldn't move the game up so it was payed in a mess of snow. Wild game, Montini won by a score and took the 6A title.

 

[greatgig13]

2015 Prairie Ridge - Montini.

Schremp from PR wouldn't move the game up so it was payed in a mess of snow. Wild game, Montini won by a score and took the 6A title.

I wanted to see CG v Glenbard West in 7A without that snow. Sam probably would have ended up 500 yards then LOL.

 

[rocketnation]

2017 Highland at Rochester
Highland had scored 77 points in the Quarterfinals, and Rochester had scored 56. Highland brought a very large crowd with them. However, the expected shootout did not happen. The extremely windy and cold weather turned this into a defensive chess match, as throwing into the wind was almost impossible. I stood next to a handful of Troy Triad players who had made the trip to root against Highland. Rochester led 21-0 at half and 28-0 in the 3rd before Highland scored. The final was 31-14. The Rocket Defense was outstanding all night. DB Riley Lewis, who was maybe 5’8” and 150 pounds, had two key INT’s.

 

[DeanOfSelection]

2006 MC over LWE 14-12 as the Griffin goes for 2 at end

 

[penlight]

10,000+ spectators at Joliet Memorial Stadium in 1976 for the 4A Semis with Rockford Boylan (11-0) vs. Joliet Catholic (10-1).
It was 0-0 at Halftime and mid-Q3 Boylan goes up 7-0.
Around the Q4 11-minute mark, the Hilltoppers start an 82-yard Drive and score on a 1-yard run by Rick Thayer --- known forever more as simply "The Drive."
The Hilltoppers lined up to go for 2.
As Rick Thayer led the state in rushing and scoring, Boylan sold out to stuff him.
QB Dan Pesavento faked to Thayer and hit a wide open (so open it was scary) Tim Mackey with a soft toss in the right corer of the end zone for the 8-7 lead that held up over the next 1 1/2 minutes.

 

[MWittman]

My taste buds are spoiled by cheap liquor. I only drink those at open bar parties. The PP is also commonly referred to as Paisley’s Piss.

eireog:

You amuse me.

BTW: I've got a nasty little present for one of my favorite targets tomorrow.

I consider it an early Christmas gift to my acquaintances and residents in JP.

 

[The Disciple]

Semi final week is here, and there have been some great semi-final games over the years. As a JC guy, some of my favorites include:

1992- JC 13 MC 11. An absolute battle between two heavyweights in front of 10,000 fans at Memorial Stadium. JCA took a 13-3 lead early in the second half when Matt Larsen destroyed a MC LB in route to a long touchdown run. MC scored late to make it close. I was fortunate enough to be on the sidelines as a coach for that epic game. The Hilltoppers would lose in the championship to WWS the following week in one of the all time best championship games.

2000 JC 28 Pontiac 20. A freezing cold day in Pontiac. Game went back and forth. Pontiac scored in last minute to tie the game at 20. JC blocked the extra point. Everyone was anticipating overtime, but JR Zwierzinski (sp) ran off tackle for about 80 yards while outrunning Santos Gonzales for a TD and the win.

1987 JC 35 Belvidere 14- A personal favorite. JC fell behind early, but turned it on the second half for the win. See attached artice. Some great names on that team (Lausch, Voss, Isaac and a younger USD24)

What are your most memorable semi-final games.

Good luck to all this weekend.


JC/Belvidere

USD,
That '92 game was both epic and emotional in many ways. "The Drive for 5 --- NOT !!! " And your game against Belvidere was only a prelude to an even greater title game the following week against Richwoods.

 

[mmca]

Taylor Bell wrote many times that the 1979 5A (there were only five classes) semi between Deerfield and St. Laurence was the best high school game he had ever seen. The game was at Gately and St. Laurence won on a 42 yard field goal with 8 seconds left, 17-14. Oh, and Deerfield's Greg Scarpone almost ran the kickoff back. Kicker got him by the shoe tops. VERY hard hitting game. And yes, I could be a bit biased.

I was at that game and it was an extremely hard hitting game. I thought Scarpone was going to score.

 

[corey90]

2006 MC over LWE 14-12 as the Griffin goes for 2 at end

That was a great game. One of the hardest hitting games I have seen.

 

[corey90]

2005 8A State Championship LWE double OT win over MS. LWE first state title.

 

[atrain97]

I wanted to see CG v Glenbard West in 7A without that snow. Sam probably would have ended up 500 yards then LOL.

I don't know about great, but memorable, CG vs Glenbard West, 2015 in the snow bowl. 1st it took longer to get there from Cary than than game took. Sam Brodner was a beast, but I would have like to have seen them on a playable field. We'll never know, but I doubt he would have gotten 500 yards.

 

[atrain97]

Trigger warning please.

That was a classic game. Sold out stadium in Niles. Cold November Saturday. Ty Gavin basically playing on one leg. Hard-hitting, disciplined teams. After CG scored and the final whistle blew, I saw there for a good 20 minutes in stunned silence. Thought the Dons had them.

That was a classic game, and we all thought you had it too. but we always say thank you for the Jump pass on the interception. I will never understand that call, but...
IMHO, those were the two best teams in 6A that year.

 

[eireog]

eireog:

You amuse me.

BTW: I've got a nasty little present for one of my favorite targets tomorrow.

I consider it an early Christmas gift to my acquaintances and residents in JP.

Thank you in advance Santa!!

 

[eagles2k3]

Weird having my name brought up 45 years after I played high school football. I have a brother who played at IC in the 60's and two brothers who were phenomenal basketball players at IC. I (Mark Morgan) played for Jack Lewis from 74-76 and the description of IC football was spot on. Those were the original glory years of IC football. In my 3 years we had a combined record of 25-6. The 74 team played West Chicago in the semi-finals in the first year of the state playoffs in Illinois. That was when there were only 5 classes. Think about this - we played Warren in our quarterfinal game the week before, yes that Warren. That was back when we played the first round game on Wednesday. I played with Keven Strasser who did play at Northwestern and was a great QB and also with Pete Conroy an excellent linebacker.

I'm also the same Morgan who was the Head Coach in 96 and 97. You are correct, those were dark years. I was the 5th head coach in six years and we struggled to get kids out for the team. My second year we were able to field a freshmen for the first time in a few years. Two years after I left, an excellent freshmen class came in from IC grade school and that team went on to win IC's first state championship in 2002. Coincidentally, I was an assistant at Driscoll Catholic who also won a state championship that year.

I hope you didn’t take the dark years comment as a slight. That school was in transition after those great early 90s teams. Nearly closed. A couple of bad classes in a row nearly killed everything. You and I have definitely crossed paths Coach Morgan!

 

[morgs81]

I hope you didn’t take the dark years comment as a slight. That school was in transition after those great early 90s teams. Nearly closed. A couple of bad classes in a row nearly killed everything. You and I have definitely crossed paths Coach Morgan!

No offense taken. It was the truth. You have to be an old timer if you remember 70's football. Where do we know each other from?

 

[Oddy]

Yeah the close game was in the 2nd round a few years ago

OK, I thought it was a semi.

 

[Oddy]

2001 6A Semi-Final known as ‘The Fog Bowl’ in Oak Lawn on a Saturday night.

Richards 10
Carmel Catholic 0

Carmel Catholic amasses over 400+ yds of offense and gets inside the Richards 10yd line several times to produce zero points. Turnovers hurt CCHS as they lose 10-0 in a game that saw no offensive points scored by either team.

Richards RB Jason Orosco breaks his leg early in the game.

Richards LB Duran Johnson had 20+ tackles on the night. He was a difference-maker for the Bulldogs helping shut down the A and B gaps.

Great game even though the the outcome was not favorable for the Corsairs. Success was right around the corner, however.

My son was on that CCHS team. Wife and I were part of the human tunnel formed when the Corsairs came out for second half.

I might also mention the Corsairs semi win over Oswego, and hearing starting QB Venegoni yell when he broke his leg.

Again this from memory so correct me if I have bad recollection.

 

[dweise]

Glenbard North at Mount Carmel in 2007. Go ahead flea flicker from Matt Ng late in the fourth

 

[eireog]

My son was on that CCHS team. Wife and I were part of the human tunnel formed when the Corsairs came out for second half.

I might also mention the Corsairs semi win over Oswego, and hearing starting QB Venegoni yell when he broke his leg.

Again this from memory so correct me if I have bad recollection.

That was one really good football team. I always like to keep an eye on the the big guys and that Oline from those years was as good as they come.

 

[Gene K.]

Montini vs Prairie Ridge in 2016 in the snow bowl. Snowed all game! Back and forth game with Montini going ahead in the 4th quarter and PR storming back only to be denied inside the Montini 10 yard line. This was in fact the championship game as Crete Monee was beaten by PR during the season and Montini won the title from Crete Monee rather easily!

 

[Blue Ruin]

eireog:

You amuse me.

I amuse you? You think I'm funny? How do you think I'm funny? Funny like a clown? I make you laugh?

 

[eireog]

I amuse you? You think I'm funny? How do you think I'm funny? Funny like a clown? I make you laugh?

Shouldn’t that be my line? 😂

 

[Blue Ruin]

Shouldn’t that be my line? 😂

Yes, of course. But I thought you were at the bar.

 

[eireog]

Yes, of course. But I thought you were at the bar.

You’re doing Mrs. Og’s bidding I see😜