Montini celebrates second straight football championship
The pep rally Friday for Montini Catholic High School's state championship football team reflected all the joy and celebration of the team's final victory Nov. 27 in Champaign.
Cheerleaders, check. Poms, check. Superfans and parents, check. Even a water boy who got as much love from the crowd as the team's two captains.
The only things missing were uniforms, referees, 100 yards of playing space and an opposing team. But what the ceremony lacked in actual football, it made up in school spirit.
Students sung along to the Black Eyed Peas' “I Gotta Feeling,” as it played during a photo and video slide show of impressive running plays, diving touchdown receptions, tackles for losses and interceptions. They chanted with cheerleaders and clapped for the extra day off the football team earned them, which Montini students will enjoy Dec. 22.
Team captains Doug Diedrick and Alex Walters thanked parents and fans for supporting them despite long drives and cold weather.
“It truly made our game a lot easier and more fun,” Diedrick said. “We truly had to work hard to get what we got and we got it.”
Head coach Chris Andriano said the team's accomplishment never will be forgotten, especially because this year marked a repeat state championship for the Lombard school in IHSA Class 5A.
“The story really of this season was about a senior class who we really believed in,” said Andriano, who has been coaching the Broncos football team for 32 years. “This senior class is class. It's a great group of young men who worked very, very hard to accomplish a dream, a dream of winning a state championship.”
Some parents attended the rally in last year's state championship sweatshirts, but new ones, boasting the back-to-back victories, are available on the school's website.
The pep rally represented the official, ceremonial end to the 2010 football season.
But even after the rally ended, the Broncos won't be done receiving local recognition for their state championship achievement.
Lombard Village President William Mueller asked the football players, cheerleaders and poms squad to lead the village's annual Lilac Parade in May.
“I hope I'll be back next year for a three-peat,” Mueller said.