Lane Tech Drops Lincoln Park 26-0

[Preview of this week’s Inside—Booster story.]

By Jack Lydon

Lane Tech is on a streak winning four games in a row after a three-game skid. It was Lincoln Park’s turn to face the Champions Friday evening at Lane Stadium, and actually a Lincoln Park home game. The sidelines and fan seating sections were reversed. The Lane sideline, as well as the seating for the fans and the bands was on the western side. Lincoln Park, its fans and band were on the east side.

It didn’t make much difference. The Champions in their white road uniforms did what they set out to do winning the game 26-0.

“We saw what [defensive backs] we were going against. We saw matchups we liked. We have 6’5”, 6’4” receivers, so just given that [we liked the] 50/50 ball. Air it out there and see what they can do. We practice that a lot,” said Lane senior quarterback Blake Perkins.

The game started a little slow. Multiple personal fouls on both teams held down the scoring until late well into the second quarter. Despite concentration on throwing the ball, Lane QB Perkins scored on a one yard-keeper midway through the second quarter making the score 9-0 after a blocked extra point attempt.

The Champions dominated the first half. A long drive at the end of the half culminated in a “go route” up the right sideline with 39 seconds left.

“We saw that #7 [Lincoln Park free safety Carson Greco] was playing back, so we thought we got to just throw it up there. We’ve got to head tap him. I just ran up the sideline. Went up there and got the ball. Touchdown. That was it,” said Lane junior wide receiver Aiden Andrich.

16-0 at the half but the seemed like a lot more. The game never felt in doubt. A couple of early interceptions by the Champions in the second half cemented that feeling. Lane added a second field goal be senior kicker Atticus Whitted.

With time ticking down and the Champions running out the clock at that end of fourth, #72, Kanye Williams reported to the referee and a line up at tail back in the offense backfield. Williams took a couple of handoffs and managed to get in the end zone for a touchdown with the help of his fellow offensive lineman.

“That was my first one,” said senior offensive and defensive lineman Kanye Williams, referring to the touchdown.

“Like last year, we tried to just give it to the seniors. This is my last year. We tried to just get me one. Whoever is next up. They gonna get one. It’s just a tradition,” said senior offensive and defensive lineman Kanye Williams.

“Especially in their senior years, we try to get our big guys in the end zone. Let them have a little fun. It always gets the team hyped,” said Coach Conley.

When reminded that Chicago Bears legendary defensive tackle, William “Refrigerator” Perry, also wore number 72, Conley said, “I didn’t even put that together. Kanye picked that number his sophomore year. [Now he is] Kanye “Refrigerator” Williams.”

With five wins and three losses, Lane will be in the new IHSA playoff format. The Champions week nine opponent has yet to be determined. The Chicago Public League will assign an opponent to the Champions for the regular season finale to be played next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Lane Tech Drops Amundsen 27-0

[Preview of this week’s article in Inside—Booster.]

By Jack Lydon

 Blake Perkins and his Lane Tech Champion lit ‘em up Friday evening defeating the Amundsen Vikings 27-0 at Lane Stadium. The Champions shifted their passing game into high gear scoring their four touchdowns through the air on passes of eight yards, eleven yards, thirty-four yards and thirty-nine yards.

“[Amundsen] really game planned on stopping our run game because we ran so well last week against Whitney [Young]. We really just took what was there. Passing game was there so we leaned on the pass tonight,” said Lane Tech head coach Deshon Conley.

If the Vikings focused on stopping the Champions run game that produced the 35-7 shellacking of Whitney Young last Friday, then the Champions would throw this Friday. And that they did.

Senior quarterback Blake Perkins opened the scoring on the first play of the second quarter with an eight-yard touchdown pass to his twin brother wide-receiver Britton Perkins.

Next came a jump ball pass to senior wide-receiver Taylor Clay in the right corner of the endzone where Clay wrestled the ball out of the hands of the Amundsen defender for the second touchdown.  PAT no good. 13-0 Champions.

Champions scored again with 51.8 seconds left in the half on a thirty-four yard strike up the sideline from Perkins to junior wide-receiver Aiden Andrich and added a two-point conversion to make it 21-0 at the half.

Champions closed out the scoring on another deep ball. This time again to Taylor Clay who continued his acrobatic receiving night by batting the ball back to himself for the reception and then continued down the sideline for the score.

“I was feeling it. All week we have been preparing for this. The coaches gave us good plays. We prepared well for this game. Watched hours and hours of film. I don’t like Amundsen much. We own the North now. They can’t say that anymore,” Perkins said after the game.

“Blake’s a rhythm guy. Since the Bulls [Prep] game, he’s found his rhythm as a quarterback. We don’t pass as much as I would like. Today he made soon really, really, really go throws,” Conley said of his senior quarterback.

It seems for strange but despite the lopsided score the game felt pretty close, in the first half at least. The Vikings were able to move the ball. Amundsen quarterback Jake Seifert’s passes were on time and on target. They moved the ball in chunks on the ground and in the air. They just were not able to put the ball in the endzone. At one point in the third quarter, the Vikings had three tries to score from inside the two-yard line.

It was not to be. The Champions stout defense would not allow it. They stuffed two runs up the middle and a pass in the right flat. It was not Amundsen’s day.   

“We graduated twenty starters last year and starting over this year with guys who don’t have a lot of varsity experience. We know that we had to get better as the year progressed. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone our way the past six games,” said Amundsen coach Nick Olson.

The Amundsen Vikings are having a rough go this season. They are not actually playing that poorly. It seems at times like it’s one good play and then two bad ones; dropped pass or a penalty. They are not manufacturing any luck—just adversity.

Olson was a little introspective after the game.

“I have never been in this situation in my coaching career. I’ve never had this kind of adversity with a six-game skid. I have only known success here at Amundsen. So this is also a chance for me to grow as a coach and figure out what I can do to help them right the ship,” added Olson

“My guys don’t have any quit in them. I am very proud that we are a neighborhood school. We are not selective enrollment. We don’t have 5,000 kids to pick from. And we are fielding an 89-man roster with a neighborhood school.”

DePaul Prep Edges Lane Tech 6-0

[Preview of this week’s article in the Inside—Booster.]

By Jack Lydon

DePaul Prep had just enough. Just enough offense and just enough defense to stop Lane Tech on the one-yard line on the last play of the game to preserve a 6-0 victory Friday evening at DePaul Prep (2-0).

The Champions (1-1) literally walked to game by entering the gate between the back of Lane Tech and the DePaul Prep parking lot. That’s how close these schools are and that’s how close this game was.

Despite the obvious proximity of the schools, this game was a long time coming. The last football game between the Rams and Lane Tech was 37 years ago. That was back when the Rams were from Gordon Tech and Lane Tech were the Indians.

Former Gordon Tech and DePaul Prep athletic director Paul Chabura provided some of the history of the Gordon Tech v. Lane Tech football rivalry. Gordon won the football state champion in 1980. That year included two wins over then the Lane Tech Indians. Rams’ 33-0 victory in the regular season and another Rams’ 15-8 victory in the IHSA playoffs.

Gordon played Lane from 1980 to 1989 winning eight straight. Lane the last two including the 1989 playoff game 21-14.

DePaul Prep head basketball coach Tom Kleinshmidt was a sophomore at Gordon in 1989 and told the story about how a fight broke out after the 1989 playoff and spilled over into the McDonalds parking lot across Addison Street.

The football games between the two schools stopped after that incident. More than one of the former Gordon Tech student told the author that the hiatus was because the Lane coach at the time did not want to play the Gordon teams anymore.  

Friday night’s first game of this renewed rivalry was not a thing of beauty. The closest things to scoring plays in the first half were Lane’s missed 49-yard field goal on its opening drive and DePaul Prep’s 47-yard touchdown pass called back for an illegal man downfield late in the first half. The game was marred by frequent penalties on both teams. Frequent cramps afflicted both squads and slowed the game significantly.

A couple big plays in the second half proved the difference. Midway through the third quarter, Rams’ sophomore quarterback and transfer from Joliet Catholic, Andrew Campbell, rolled right and through a screen pass back left to running back, senior and co-captain Zach Stewart. Stewart weaved his way up the sideline braking tackles on his way for a 40-yard gain. A run by Rams junior running back Tyson Hooks brought the ball down to the three. Campbell finished the drive with a 3-yard keeper for the score that proved to be the difference.

The Champions but together what looked like it might be a game winning drive late in the fourth quarter. A beautiful slant pass from senior quarterback Blake Perkins to senior wide receiver Taylor Clay with 28 seconds to play put at the 5-yard line. Three plays followed but the Rams stopped the Champions at the one-yard line on the last play of the game.

Rams won 6-0.

First year DePaul Prep head coach Nick Bizzieri was ebullient, if a little worn out, after the game.

“The defense played lights out. They won the game for us tonight. The offense was sputtering. [Lane] loaded the box with nine guys. We had a hard time getting anything going in the run game. We had an inexperienced quarterback, a sophomore quarterback. But we stuck together,” Bizierri said of his team.

 “They have shown up two weeks in a row now in the second half . . . If there is one thing I can say about this roster is that it’s full of fighters.”

Maybe a little lost in the drama of the final minutes was the play of Rams’ sophomore transfer Andrew Campbell—a young man new to Chicago, new to the school and new to being a starting quarterback. This was his first start for DePaul Prep. He made big throws including the 47-yard touchdown that was called back. A couple difficult against the grain screen passes. No turnovers. And a running touchdown.

“I have practiced here since June or July, I look at [Lane Tech] every single day. The passion grows every single day. We play them next year at their house. That’s gonna be a big game. I am part of the program now, it’s my rivalry too,” Campbell said of the new rivalry with Lane.

Lane Handles Shepard 28-21

[A preview of this week’s article in the Inside—Booster.]

By Jack Lydon

High school football is back! And the Lane Tech Champions did not disappoint, beating the Shephard Astros 28-21 at Lane Stadium Friday evening.

Lane’s ability to move the ball with effective run-pass combinations proved the difference between these two evenly matched teams. The fun new twin brother quarterback to receiver connection fielded by Lane Tech with seniors Blake Perkins to Britton Perkins added a fun wrinkle to the storyline.

These two evenly matched teams each had a rocky first quarter with almost as many penalty as yards gained on offense.

The game opened up in the second quarter. Lane had the ball at it’s own 33-yard line. Quarterback Blake Britten busted open a keeper for a big gain down to the Shepard 42. Two plays later, Lane’s senior running back Timothy Turner ripped off a thirty-five yard carry to the Shepard 8-yard line on a sneaky counter to the left set up by early plays to the right.

The twin brother combo platter for Blake Perkins to Britton Perkins finished to drive with an 8-yard touchdown throw and catch to the back of the end zone. The Champions were on their way.

Shepard scored on a block punt following the Lane touchdown but struggled on offense until late in the game when it was too little, too late. Lane’s ability to move the ball with an effective running game off underneath passes, including another Perkins-to-Perkins touchdown on a screen pass for a 12-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, made the score 28-7 Lane.

“The difference was us doing the right thing more than them doing the right thing,” said Lane’s second year head coach Deshon Conley. Conley comes off his first season as Lane’s head coach where the Champions similarly defeated Shepard in the first game of the season and then went on to a 9-2 record.

“Credit to my offensive coordinator because when we did get rolling, he dialed up some great plays. That drive before half time—perfection,” said of Lane coach Titus Perez.

Without overstating the case too much, Perez’s play calls and the execution thereof by the offense, proved the difference in the game.  

“We always script the first half, the first couple drives. I like to set them up. Hopefully, we can hit the shot plays in the second half like we did. The first drive out of the half was our best drive of the game. I think it took three plays and we scored,” Perez said.

In the back of many people’s minds during and after the game was next week’s game. The Champions will literally walk out the back door and across the parking lot to play at DePaul Prep next Friday night.

DePaul Prep, a recent 4A state champion, has a new head coach this year in former Rams’ offensive line coach Nick Bizzieri. Former coach Mike Passarella has moved on to coach in college football.

The DePaul Prep Rams pulled off something of an upset Friday with a comeback 32-22 victory over Richards. While there isn’t much of a rivalry in recent years because of schools rarely play each other, it is getting bigger.

It was formerly a big thing. Decades ago, Lane played Gordon Tech, DePaul Prep predecessor, every year and it was huge neighborhood event.

Lane head coach Conley downplayed the rivalry aspect of this week’s game. “I wouldn’t say it’s a rivalry because we literally don’t play them,” Conley said.

Even so, Conley admitted, “Next week is a big one. We are looking for the whole community to come out.”

Lane offensive coordinator Titus Perez was a little more fired up for the game. “I think it is a thing. The kids are friends; they hang out. So it’s a natural rivalry. It’s going to make for an exciting game,” said Perez.

Get your tickets early. The DePaul Prep stadium will be jam packed.

Lane's Vernon Cole Carries Champions into Second Round of Playoffs

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT BY JOHN MONTGOMERY

Not even an eight-man defensive front could stop Lane running back Vernon Cole last Friday night on Halloween in the opening round of the Class 8A state high school football playoff. Cole, who has been recovering from an ankle injury, saw limited action but rushed for 77 yards and one touchdown, added a 36-yard punt return and briefly ran a Wildcat offense in a 34-6 victory over Perspectives.

“I would have to say honestly that he is our best football player,” said Deshon Conley, Lane’s first-year head coach. “And he is a better person off the field than he is a football player.”

Cole, who was a wrestler in elementary school, didn’t start playing football until he enrolled at Lane. As a senior, he has done it all to become one of the best players in the city, rushing for 855 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has completed two passes in the Wildcat offense. And he also plays defensive back.

“He can play college football one day,” Conley said. “Some coaches like to see him play on defense. Some coaches would like to see him play on offense.”

Cole, a 5-9, 165-pounder who won the Public League’s 165-pound wrestling championship as a junior, has his own game plan. “I want to play offense. My dream is to play for (coach) Deion Sanders at Colorado. My favorite running back is Jaymyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions (of the NFL).”

Lane (9-1), who have never won a state football title, recorded its first playoff victory in 21 years.The Champions will try to advance to the quarterfinals when they host Oswego (8-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lane Stadium.

At the same time, Lane hopes to change the Chicago Public League’s statewide image in football.Last weekend, Public League teams went 0-15 against non-city competition in the opening round of the state tournament. Phillips is the only Public League school to win a state title, 4A in 2015 and 5A in 2017. Robeson was 6A runner-up in 1982.

“We know it is going to be difficult to win a state championship because of the schools in Class 8A and the competition,” Conley said. “However, I am confident the coaching staff can come up with a game plan against any opponent. I look forward to the challenge.”

One thing opponents must prepare to defend against is Lane’s Wildcat formation. The offense made popular by former Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

“It was my idea to use the Wildcat,” Cole said. “I told the coaches that the holes were there. It has been a big part of our playbook.”

On Friday night, Perspectives tried to contain Cole. The first half was a nightmare as Lane was shut out, then fell behind 6-0 when Perspectives’ Herman Yancy scored on a 51-yard pass interception return in the third quarter. But junior quarterback Blake Perkins, who recently earned a starting position because Conley wanted to improve Lane’s passing attack, stepped up in the second half with touchdown runs of 37 and 30 yards and a 20-yard scoring pass to Aidan Andrich.

“I told the kids at halftime that when you are ready to make plays and block, you will win the game,” Conley said.

“I think I just panicked in the first half. I just rushed myself,” Perkins said.

While Perkins and Cole are the keys to Lane’s offense, the defense has been even more effective, recording five shutouts while not allowing an offensive touchdown last Friday. Cole should know about Lane’s defense. He sees it every day in practice.

“I think this defense has to be one of the best in the city and state,” Cole said. “The record speaks for itself. I don’t think anybody can really score on us.”

Against Perspectives, the defense was led by 6-3, 280-pound senior linebacker Daniel Howard, who is committed to Iowa State, and 5-11, 260-pound junior end Kanye Williams. They will be tested this weekend by Oswego (8-2), which is averaging 30 points per game.

This has been a rewarding, turn-around season for Lane, which was 3-6 a year ago. The players have responded very positively to Conley’s coaching philosophy.

“He has a great football IQ,” Cole said about his coach. “He is a leader on and off the football field.”

So is Cole.

“Lane is one of the top three schools in the state,” he said. “It is great being a student-athlete at Lane. Balancing academics and athletics make you a better person. It is always school first for me.”

“I am very proud of him,” said Mike Smith, Lane’s head of security.

So how far can this team go in the state playoff. Old-timers argue Lane’s 1980 team that lost to Gordon Tech in the Class 6A semifinals might have been one of the best teams never to win a state championship.

What will be the legacy of the 2025 squad? Saturday’s game against Oswego should provide some answers.

Lane Survives Late Charge by TF South 21-20

The plodding lackluster contest became an unlikely thriller with three quick touchdowns, a made two-pointer and a missed two-pointer all in the final three minutes of the game. The Lane Tech Champions (1-1, 0-0) traveled to Lansing, Illinois to take on the Thornton Fractional South Red Wolves and survive a late comeback by the Red Wolves to win 21-20 Friday night.

Let’s just say that until the final three minutes, this game was not exactly football at it finest. Both teams were plagued by mis-queues, injuries and penalties, and the occasional dustup too. The ineptitude both squads displayed gave way to clutch plays at the end.

Down late 14-6 late in the game, there was no quit in TF South. With three minutes left, Red Wolves’ senior quarterback Nicholas Ford launched a deep ball up the far sideline. Sophomore wide receiver Amari Dukes caught it in stride for a 63-yard touchdown to bring the Wolves to within two points. What looked like an eventual Lane win suddenly was one play away from a tie.

With the game on the line, Ford found his other wide receiver David Nkwogo at the back of the endzone for the two-point conversion to tie the game.

The Lane sideline was stunned. I think the TF South sideline was a little stunned too but cheered and danced all the same.

With 2:35 left on the clock, Lane Tech fielded South’s kickoff and returned it to their own thirty-three-yard line with time to take the lead.

This is not the three yards and a cloud of dust Lane Tech Champions of recent years. On the very next play, senior quarterback Noah Mayra took the shotgun snap and quick rifled a strike down the middle to junior wideout (and baseball player) Alex Lagges. Lagges shock a couple tackles and raced up the Lane sideline for the go-ahead score. The PAT made it 21-14 Lane. 

“This year we have some pretty good skill [players]. That was just a double post to the middle of the field and Alex [Lagges] took it 80 yard (67 actually) for a touchdown,” Lane Tech head coach Dedrick Dewalt said.

“I had the post on that,” Champion’s Alex Lagges said of his winning touchdown after the game. “I just trusted that my quarterback Noah [Mayra] was going to see it, read it. That’s what he did. That’s what we do. Great play call by my coach. He saw the middle was open. We knew if we got the shot, we could make things happen.”

One play and the Champions had the lead back with 2:16 on clock. But still plenty of time left for South. But no time outs for the Red Wolves. A couple plays for small gains took time off the clock. Then Red Wolves QB Ford scrambled and found senior wide receiver Tariq Meggs-Hood underneath the coverage who sprinted up the Lane sideline to the Lane 45-yard line.

With time ticking down to 35 seconds, Ford dropped back and launched a perfect strike to senior RB/WR Christian Streeter at the goal line for another unlikely touchdown against a prevent two deep zone defense to make the score 21-20. This time the South faithful believed it and stadium erupted.

TF South head coach Bob Padjen, never hesitated. They were going for it. Win or lose, the extra points try would decide the game.

With no time outs, the Red Wolves would need run the play quickly. Padjen called a cut back run up the middle from an overloaded and decoy formation. But the quarterback audibled to a Philadelphia Eagles style “tush push” run up the middle from the three-yard line. Initially, it looked like it was working but the Champions defensive line stiffened and stopped the Wolves a half-yard shy of victory.

The Champions move into Chicago Public League play. CPL has created a 16 team Red Division super-conference. Lane will not have to face Kenwood and Simeon this season but will have to face Morgan Park. The games against Whitney Young, Taft and Amundsen give the Champions a chance to prove undeniable mastery of the Northside. Stay tuned.

Lane Beats Amundsen 7-3 for Northside Bragging Rights; Both Move on to IHSA Playoffs

“We still run the north,” was the refrain of the Lane players after the game. Last Wednesday’s newspaper and television stories of the ascendence of the Amundsen football program on the Northside were on the minds of the Champions before and after the game.

The Lane Tech Champions made their case for that claim Friday evening with a victory 7-3 over a very good Amundsen Vikings squad at Lane Stadium.

This was about as close as games get. Both teams evenly matched. Both moved the ball at times. Amundsen Sophomore running back Reginald Mitchell was able run for some yards in the middle of the field. Lane junior quarterback Noah Mayra had a sixty-yard touchdown run called back on a penalty but still provided the Campions with a ton of rushing yards. Both defenses stiffened around the goal line.

 With the Vikings up 3-0, the turning point came at the 10:32 mark early in the fourth quarter with Amundsen deep in their own end. The Amundsen punter bobbled the snap and could not get the punt away. The Lane rushers tackled him at the seven-yard line where the Champions took over on downs.

 “We call it the brotherly shove,” Lane junior quarterback Noah Mayra said of the next two plays. The Champions lined up in their best imitation of the Philiadelphia Eagles now famous quarterback sneek play. Mayra carried, or was actually pushed forward from the Amundsen seven down to the two-yard line. Lining up quickly, the Champions ran the same play in from the two for the game’s only touchdown.

“We have been running that all year. We’ve gotten like four or five touchdowns on it. Two-point conversions,” continued Mayra after the game.

There was still plenty of time left for the Vikings to come back. The Vikings moved the into Lane territory but gave up an interception. The Champions gave up an interception of there own with under four minutes.

 Holding penalties plagued the Vikings as they struggled to rally for the win.

 “We must have had seven or eight holding penalties that really stalled drives. It’s hard to overcome penalties when you are playing good teams,” Amundsen head coach Nick Olson said after the game.

 “I fell like we just didn’t execute tonight, poor execution on the offensive side. Football is a game of inches. We had a bad snap on a punt deep in our own territory and that was the difference. They ran two quarterback sneaks and got the easy touchdown. We kind of just gave this game away. Our defense did a really good job. Our defensive coordinator and coaches had a really good game plan. We moved the ball at times and we kept stalling out before we punched it in. We had a big drop in the endzone before halftime. It just continued to spiral down. Great play; bad play. Great play; bad play. We really have to work on our consistency. Inconsistency is what cost us tonight.”

 Olson was a little hard on himself and his team. They played very well but make no mistake, Lane came in ready.

“We have a pretty good gauge on these guys from Amundsen. We kind of know what they like to do. We kind of know how to cut off the water to the things they like to do the best. That’s what we did tonight,” said Lane head coach Dedrick Dewalt.

“We kept a corner in the box, up in the flats the whole game. It disrupted what the wanted to do. We know they are not going to through the ball down field. So we liked to take way the screens and play well against the run. They may be a little bigger than us up front but we are quicker so we just looked to beat them to the punch.

A jubilant Noah Mayra continued after the game, “We lost Antonio [Bombe] our senior running back. We have our freshman running back Sam [Boadu]. He is great but we can’t give him the ball every time. He is still developing. He is still learning. So I am trying to take it upon myself to run the ball and get the ball to my teammates. Some I should have thrown. Some I should have just given to Sam but we pulled it off.

 The game was a fitting cap to good seasons for both teams, a really exciting game for both teams with each team finishing 6-3 and earned playoff appearances.

The Vikings will face the Belvidere North “Blue Thunder”, 7-2, third place in the Northern Illinois Conference behind Hononegah and Boylan Catholic. Amundsen’s playoff opponent from last year, Harlem, came out of that same conference. Amundsen lands the thirteenth seed in the 6A northern bracket. Belvidere with the fourth seed.

The Champions on the other hand are in 8A by virtue of being one of the largest schools in the state. They will face South Elgin on Friday night in South Elgin, which I learned is its own town interestingly. Who knew? The South Elgin “Strikers” were 8-1 in the Upstate Eight Conference (which actually has 10 teams). The Champions land the 26th seed out of the 32 teams in 8A. South Elgin comes in with the seventh seed.   

Lane Tech Falls to Neuqua Valley in 8A Playoff 37-0

These are my photos from Friday night’s 8A playoff game at Lane Stadium between the Lane Tech Champions and the Neuqua Valley Wildcats.

My article this week was about the Amundsen game so no full treatment.

The Champions hung touch against the Wildcats in the first quarter. The depleted Champions struggled stopping Neuqua Valley after that. The Champions’ depleted offense could not move the ball despite expanding the offensive scheme at times moving into an I-formation.

The final was 37-0.

Champions move into the CPS city playoffs now and will likely face Taft next weekend.

Lane Falls to Phillips 38-7

Lane Tech fell to Phillips 38-7 Friday night a Lane Stadium in a dominate performance by Phillips in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams.

Lane came into Friday evening game against the Phillips Wildcats with a 6-0 record, its best record in as long as anyone could remember. It was evident from last week’s game 24-6 victory over a talented Clark football team that the Lane Tech Champions have bought into Coach Dedrick Dewalt’s double wing offence. Not only bought in but they invested a lot of work into making it work.

Then Phillips came to Rockwell and Addison. A few seasons removed from their 2017 5A state championship and having lost their head coach Troy McAllister, the Wildcats nevertheless, have had 9-3 records, won their Land of Lincoln conference and advanced deep into the state playoffs every year since.

But three straight losses to open the seasons? What’s become of the program? The first two losses were to Batavia and Mt. Carmel. Then a loss to Morgan Park. Maybe the Wildcats have fallen back to the pack.

It quickly became evident that the Champions had tough task in front of them. The Wildcats took the and methodically marched the ball from their own 25-yard line to the Lane 12-yard line, overcoming several penalties along the way. Senior running back Dwayne Williams took a handoff up the middle into the end zone for the first score of the game. Taking a page out of the Lane playbook, the Wildcats’ opening drop took 10 minutes and 50 seconds off the clock. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Champions struck back quickly after the ensuing kickoff. On the first play of the second quarter, Lane’s senior wingback Casey Joyce took a counter handoff from Phineas “Finn” Merrill and bolted up the middle 49 yards for a quick answering touchdown. Senior kicker Mugdim Kreho added the extra point. Lane had a 7-6 lead.

That was about as good as it would get for the Champions. After Joyce’s touchdown run, Lane struggled in moving the ball.

“We watched their film. We know we had to get push up front. A team 6-0 scares you. Their six or seven plays that they run, they are very good at it. So way have to play assignment. We watched film, we matched up. ‘This is your guy, This is your guy.’ Discipline is everything,” said Phillips head coach Joseph Winslow.

The Wildcats were ready for Lane’s double wing offense. The thing about the double wing is that it is pretty much and all or nothing defense. If the offensive line can move the defensive line off the ball and pick up four yards a carry, it is difficult to stop. If they can’t well, the double wing offense is going to struggle and better hope their defense can hold. There isn’t much quick strike, comeback potential in the double wing.

Winslow and his Wildcats were ready for the double wing. “I ran the double wing in high school. We rarely passed the ball. We knew we had to play slobber-knocker football. We’ve got to get down a hit every play,” Winslow continued.

And that they did. The Wildcats’ defensive line took over the game. Lane’s offensive line did not get any push. Not only did the Wildcat get a push of their own, they “stayed home.” Each defensive player stayed in position ready to tackle the Lane backs on the misdirection plays.  

“Everybody just assumed that we were just a terrible team. We’re young. 85% of this team is coming back. I only have twelve seniors. My receivers are all seniors which is a plus with a junior quarterback. But other than that we are young. People took us for granted. They didn’t think that we are the same team that we have always been. The kids bought in after we lost the game to Morgan Park. We feel like that was a game we should have one. We had too many mistakes,” Winslow said.

Lane did not take Phillips for granted. The coaches and commentators knew quite well what Phillips could bring. We all got to see that Phillips is an excellent team and Lane is not invincible. 

DePaul Prep Shuts Out Payton 49-0

High school football started in more-or-less normal fashion last Friday with a double feature of DePaul College Prep vs Payton College and Lane Tech vs Kenwood at a sunbaked Lane Stadium. The near 100-degree temperatures and 90% humidity tested the stamina of the heartiest football fans. This reporter, for one, was thoroughly cooked by the end of the second game.

Despite the heat, a large crowd saw the Payton College Prep Grizzlies (0-1, 0-0) fall to the DePaul Prep Rams (1-0, 0-0) 49-0.

The Rams took the opening kick-off and methodically moved the ball down the field under the leadership of senior quarterback Chris Perez. A mix of short passes and inside running plays brought the ball down to the one-yard line where senior running back Vasco Sierra took a handoff from Perez right up the middle to give the Rams a 6-0 lead they would never relinquish.

On the next series, the Rams defense held the Grizzlies. Grizzlies punted. DePaul’s junior wide receiver and cornerback Shane Leonard fielded the punt at his own 38-yard line, cut up the left side line, broke a tackle and ran it into the North endzone. With both PATs good, the Rams opened and early first quarter 14-0 lead and never looked back.

Remarkably, the Rams hit seven out of seven extra points. I don’t recall ever seeing that in a high school.

The Rams look to take a leap forward as the program and bring themselves back into the football prominence once enjoyed by its processor Gordon Tech. In recent years, it has been difficult for Gordon Tech/DePaul Prep to achieve beyond Chicago Catholic League Red Division championships. Five wins are needed to qualify for the IHSA playoffs—a difficult task for Rams who have played an almost impossible CCL schedule.

This year may well be different. The CCL has combined with the East Suburban Catholic Conference for football. The Rams will not have to play CCL Blue powerhouses like Loyola, Brother Rice or Mt. Carmel. Conference games for the Rams this year are St. Viator, Leo, St. Laurence, Notre Dame, St. Ignatius and Marian Central Catholic.

“The biggest goal right now is just to get in the the playoffs. If we make the playoffs, we don’t have the multiplier on us so we are playing in 3A. We just came out here and beat a 5A/6A  [team], one of the better CPS schools in the area,” said DePaul head coach Mike Passarella.

Five wins is very doable for DePaul. Once in the playoffs, the Rams can do some damage in the 3A playoffs.

The Payton College Prep Grizzlies struggled against DePaul suffering some injuries during the game and having lost some productive players to graduation.

“We played a really tough team that played well,” said Payton coach Craig Knoche after the game.

“We will find out [what happens with this season] on Monday/Tuesday of next week. We have got to respond to what just happened. They usually respond well.”.

In the second game, home team Lane Tech fall to the Kenwood Academy Broncos 27-9. This much more competitive game saw Lane Tech hang with the Broncos most of the first half.

Lane took an early 3-0 led. The Lane defense impressed with an early goal line stand against a big, fast and athletic Broncos’ offense. Eventually, the Lane defense cracked under the pressure of Kenwood’s speed giving up a long early second quarter touchdown run by the running back Taylen Goodwin.

The Lane offense struggled to move the ball only adding its only touchdown in the fourth quarter bringing the score to 21-9. Kenwood answered with the touchdown making the final score 27-9.

Lane travels to Lansing, Illinois for game against a game against a tough TF South team looking to rebound at home from a shellacking at the hands of Chesterton, Indiana high school.