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.