November still a good month to Montini
Montini's 5-4 regular season is so last month.
The record that counts is 4-0, the playoff mark the Broncos will take into the Class 5A state title game after Saturday's 42-24 semifinal win over Woodstock at John L. Duffy Memorial Field in Lombard.
"This is how I thought our season would be all year," said Montini quarterback Brandon Pechloff, who threw 5 touchdown passes - 1 to Anthony Taylor, 2 each to brothers Christian and Jordan Westerkamp - and Ryan Gorrell ran for 198 yards with a 94-yard touchdown.
"Everyone stepped up when they needed to," said Pechloff, 16-of-23 passing for 337 yards and matching Tom DiCristina's 2007 program mark of 5 TD passes the second time this fall. "Nobody shied away from competition, and whenever things looked bad we always came back stronger and more powerful than ever. It's a great feeling."
At 10 a.m. next Saturday in Champaign, Montini (9-4) gets 11-2 Joliet Catholic, which mugged Peoria Richwoods 54-7.
"It's like David versus Goliath, I guess. But we can do it. I'm not doubting us," said Nick Campanella, who ran for 56 yards, caught 6 passes for 92 yards and broke up two would-be touchdown passes by all-state Woodstock quarterback Logan Kunzie, who was 27-of-45 passing for 378 yards.
Any doubt No. 7 seed Woodstock (9-4) provided on Western Michigan recruit Mike Liedtke's late first-quarter touchdown run was dispelled quickly by Pechloff's 21-yard strike to Taylor. Matt Kersten made the kick and the 12th-seeded Broncos led thereafter.
"We played a phenomenal game today on both sides of the ball," said Montini coach Chris Andriano, fit in his 2004 4A championship cap. "(Woodstock's) a very good offensive team, and we knew that we were going to have to put points on the board today. Our offense was lights-out today. We had a great day - a great game plan, and well-executed."
Montini amassed 594 yards of offense and Woodstock 496, but as Woodstock coach Steve Beard predicted, turnovers played a role. The Blue Streaks were in the red zone when Zech Tredinick's fumble recovery led to Christian Westerkamp's 53-yard hitch-and-go touchdown. Westerkamp's 11-yard grab gave Montini a 21-10 halftime lead.
Woodstock was down there again early in the third quarter. Linebacker Doug Diedrick intercepted near the goal line and the next play Gorrell ran an audible 94 yards, another Montini record, to go up 28-10.
"It was a big swing," Diedrick said. "It really lifted the whole team."
Jordan Westerkamp's 29- and 64-yard touchdowns sandwiched Kunzie's 13-yard strike to Scott Rausch to put Montini in control after three quarters, 42-17.
"The whole year we've always been just that close and we were sick of being just close enough, and we wanted to come through," Gorrell said. "We want to come through and hopefully win state."