Just jubilation for Montini
For a fleeting moment, Montini junior cornerback Mitch West was overcome by memories of last year's heartbreaking season-opening loss to Maine South.
By the end of Friday's rematch in Lombard, the only feeling remaining was jubilation.
West was at midfield for the final seconds — the last player back in the victory formation — as the Broncos completed a hard-fought 20-17 victory in the battle of perennial state powers.
“It's pretty awesome to be on the opposite end from last year,” West said. “A very clutch field goal (by sophomore Michael Cooney) and a good game. Maine South is a worthy opponent.”
Last year Maine South won 36-35 on a late blocked punt for a touchdown and conversion after trailing 35-15 with six minutes left.
The Hawks tied Friday's game 17-17 with 8:58 left on a touchdown and 2-point conversion, but the Broncos responded with a 66-yard drive and 31-yard field goal by Cooney, whose two field goals were the Broncos' only second-half points.
After a three-and-out by the Hawks, the Broncos managed to run out the final 4:12.
“We grew a lot as a team tonight. This is a big win for us,” Montini coach Chris Andriano said. “It's just that mental toughness you've got to have. You want to beat a great team, you can't fold. Our kids showed that the whole night.”
West embodied that spirit after the Broncos fell behind 6-0, lost two fumbles and were on the verge of surrendering a touchdown.
With the ball at the Montini 12-yard line, West beat a taller receiver to intercept a pass in the end zone. Five plays later, Prince Walker ran 61 yards for a touchdown and the Broncos never trailed again.
“(West) made a huge interception because they could have gone up by two scores,” Andriano said.
“It was a momentum setter definitely,” West added. “I think that play set up a lot of other plays. It just kept coming from there.”
The speedy West, who had five interceptions as a sophomore on varsity, then showed why he's also on the offensive side this season. He caught a bomb from quarterback Justin Blake for a 50-yard TD play and 14-6 lead 1:05 before halftime.
“I caught it at about the 2 or 3 and just jumped in,” West said. “I think gradually as the season goes on my opportunities on offense will probably increase.”
Blake led the big-play offense, passing for 209 yards and rushing for 115. His last carry was perhaps his most impressive — a 21-yard end-around run on third-and-13 to the Broncos' 45 with 2:03 left that all but clinched the victory.
“I just followed my great O-line and then did what my Pop Warner coaches told me from day one, keep turning my legs and just don't stop,” Blake said.
“All through the off-season, ever since we lost that first game (to Maine South in 2014), a nail-biter at the end, it's been on our minds.”
Cooney, a transfer from Marmion, is all new to the rivalry but quickly discovered the intensity of Montini home games.
“The crowd's loud but it's tolerable, pretty cool. It's pretty great,” Cooney said. “I was on the sidelines and everyone's telling me just to get the (final) punt off because they didn't want to remake what happened last year.”
Maine South senior and third-year starting quarterback Brian Collis was intercepted three times in the first half but was 10-of-11 passing in the second half for 119 of his 166 yards.
“They're a good program. They've got a lot of speed,” Maine South coach Dave Inserra said. “(Our guys) fought and were right there. We can do it. We've just got to eliminate mistakes.”