Scouting Montini vs. Crete-Monee football
By Dave Oberhelman
doberhelman@dailyherald.com
Class 6A championship
No. 1 Montini (13-0) vs. No. 6 Crete-Monee (11-2)
Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.
Road to the championship: Montini beat No. 16 Wauconda 35-7, No. 8 Kaneland 42-7, No. 5 DeKalb 49-14 and No. 2 Prairie Ridge 35-27. Crete-Monee beat No. 11 Rock Island 40-0, No. 3 Lemont 23-7, No. 2 Sacred Heart-Griffin 38-35 and No. 13 Hinsdale South 40-37.
Playoff history: Montini has reached the playoffs 28 times including the last 23 straight. The Broncos have a playoff record of 61-22. They won the 2004 Class 4A title, won Class 5A titles from 2009-12, and were the 5A runner-up the last two seasons. As a result of the IHSA's "success factor" this is Montini's first appearance in Class 6A. Crete-Monee is in its 18th playoff run and 11th straight. The Warriors now own a 16-16 playoff record. That includes a 33-26 defeat of Cary-Grove to claim the 2012 Class 6A title, unbeaten at 14-0 in their only prior title game.
Coaches: Montini coach Chris Andriano, a star receiver at Millikin and at Palatine, Class of 1970, has a record of 292-124 in 37 seasons, all at Montini. A 2001 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, his victory total ranks ninth all-time in Illinois. Andriano is the first coach to appear in seven straight championship games. Crete-Monee coach John Konecki is in his third season as head coach, with a record of 25-8. Konecki is also the offensive coordinator, his title under Warriors former coach Jerry Verde when Crete-Monee won the 6A title. Konecki also is coach for the Chicago Force of the Women's Football Alliance and has led the Team USA women to 2010 and 2013 world championships.
Starting offenses:
Montini Crete-Monee
Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.
Justin Blake 6-2 185 Sr. QB Isiah Rucker 6-5 195 So.
Prince Walker 5-10 180 Jr. RB Clint Ratkovich 6-2 205 Sr.
Tyler Millikan 6-3 195 Sr. WR Landon Lenoir 6-0 175 Sr.
Dylan Maher 5-10 180 Sr. WR Marcus Kidd 6-3 175 Jr.
Mitch West 5-11 175 Jr. WR Frank Douglas 6-1 180 Sr.
Brandon Beyer 5-11 185 Sr. WR Kevin Pate 6-0 170 Jr.
Michael Ross 6-3 305 Jr. LT Joe Ware 6-5 260 Sr.
Joe Spivak 6-1 285 Jr. LG Kody Reichert 6-0 260 Sr.
Sam Detmers 6-1 225 Sr. C Jace Haddon 5-10 200 Sr.
Bobby Gannon 6-1 250 Sr. RG Rogelio Zarate 5-10 210 Sr.
Justin Cajigas 6-2 250 Sr. RT Drew Hamilton 6-3 200 Sr.
Michael Cooney 5-9 165 So. PK Carlos Soto 5-10 175 Jr.
Starting defenses:
Montini Crete-Monee
Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.
Tommy Hyland 6-4 230 Sr. DE Lavall McNulty 6-3 200 Sr.
Joe Spivak 6-1 285 Jr. DT Jaleel Holloway 5-10 225 So.
Monte Bey 6-3 325 Sr. DT John Mitchell 6-3 260 Jr.
Brandon Andino 6-2 225 Sr. DE Malic Matthews 6-3 205 Sr.
Jake Kapp 5-11 205 Sr. OLB Donald Smith 5-10 175 So.
John Embrey 6-1 220 Sr. MLB Drew Harvey 6-0 220 Sr.
Luke Sheppard 6-0 190 Sr. OLB Marshaun Williams 5-11 180 Sr.
Luke Stone 6-1 190 Sr. SS Dreshawn Hamler 5-10 160 Sr.
Caleb Stevenson 6-0 175 Sr. FS Juwaun Treadwell 6-1 170 Jr.
Mitch West 5-11 175 Jr. CB Frank Douglas 6-1 180 Sr.
Reed Taylor 6-2 190 Sr. CB Eric Vallot 5-10 175 Sr.
Michael Cooney 5-9 165 So. P Clint Ratkovich 6-2 205 Sr.
When Montini has the ball: Justin Blake's progression into outstanding dual-threat quarterback, aided by a sound and physical offensive line, has transformed Montini's spread offense. Andriano typically favors a 50-50 run-pass split, but behind Blake's read-option dashes for 1,005 yards plus tailback Prince Walker's 1,230 yards rushing and support from back Will Smith, the Broncos' 4,625 total yards reflect a 66-34 ratio. The famed bubble screen remains, but Montini also likes to take shots downfield whether to Tyler Millikan, who has a team-high 41 catches for 614 yards, Dylan Maher, tight end Tommy Hyland or 4.4 sprinter Mitch West. Blake has not hurt himself, his sole interception in 182 passes coming last week. He's thrown for 1,469 yards and 17 touchdowns. Crete-Monee's 4-3 base defense gives up an average of 20 points. Anchored inside by tackle John Mitchell's 63 tackles, 9 for loss, and linebacker Drew Harvey's 145 tackles, the secondary is blazing. Dreshawn Hamler has made 70 tackles with 2 interceptions while Juwaun Treadwell, brother of Ole Miss star Laquon Treadwell, returned an interception 97 yards on Hinsdale South.
When Crete-Monee has the ball: The Warriors put a two-quarterback spin on a spread offense that behind five returning starting linemen averages 41 points, 416 yards. Pass-first Isiah Rucker has thrown for 1,446 yards, 15 touchdowns; Wildcat-type Clint Ratkovich has run for 1,724 yards, 31 touchdowns. Backs Xavier Ledet and Datuan Carter own a combined 19 touchdowns and nearly 1,400 yards rushing. On slip and bubble screens Warriors slot and wide receivers test a defense wide and deep led by Landon Lenoir and Kevin Pate, who has 1,200 yards of total offense. Andriano has called this his top defense due to speed. It also brings run-stopping brawn. The 4-3 base allows 8.3 points a game with a striking plus-32 turnover ratio. (Turnovers plagued Crete-Monee in losses to Brother Rice and Prairie Ridge.) Loaded at each level and armed with situational packages, middle linebacker John Embrey's 116 tackles head the unit. High-motor playmaker Jake Kapp has 18 tackles for loss in front of a secondary with 12 interceptions led by safety Caleb Stevenson with 5.
Intangibles: Montini kicker Michael Cooney - who hurt DeKalb on 8 touchbacks - has made 9 of 14 field-goal attempts with a long of 44 yards; Crete-Monee kicker Carlos Soto is 4 of 5 with a long of 32. Crete-Monee would love to sink both Sacred Heart-Griffin and Montini, two of Illinois biggest targets. Yet Montini's staff has seen it all and its players' focus and will, like rallying from a 27-13 deficit to Prairie Ridge after three quarters to keep the run intact, can't be overstated. Here the Broncos pursue their first 6A title - and first perfect season.
- Dave Oberhelman