Who had the area’s top prep football performances in Week 11?
As we tread deeper into the IHSA football playoffs, the cream is rising to the top.
This week’s High Five honors the top prep football performances from the second round of the playoffs. We don’t have the eye-popping numbers from the first round — well, we do at the No. 1 spot — but it’s getting tough out there.
Congrats to those advancing to the quarterfinals. Time to tip a cap to some of the players who made it happen.
5. Antonio Kollintzas, K-LB, Downers Grove North
We have our first kicker in the High Five.
Kollintzas started last week’s 13-10 victory over Fenwick with a 20-yard field goal to give the Trojans (10-1) a 10-0 third-quarter lead. Then, with the game tied in the waning seconds, the senior kicked a 28-yarder to lift his team to victory.
At linebacker, Kollintzas had 4 tackles for No. 5 Downers North, which faces No. 4 Batavia (10-1) in the Class 7A quarterfinals.
4. Chase Osborne, DB, Batavia
As I’ve mentioned before, we’ll start seeing repeats from the regular season.
Osborne, an honoree from Week 1, was everywhere defensively for the Bulldogs in a stunning 25-21 comeback victory over Lincoln-Way West.
The senior, who makes a habit of notching double-digit tackles, had 9 solos, 4 assists and 2 passes defended as Batavia reached the state quarterfinals for the sixth time in its last seven playoff appearances.
Osborne has 119 tackles on the season, topping his 110 from last year.
3. Costa Kampus, OL, York
In his first year as a starter, the junior has established himself as an integral part of the Dukes’ offensive line.
York (9-2), seeded 14th in Class 8A, knocked off No. 3 Oswego 35-17 behind 394 rushing yards. Three different players piled up at least 100 rushing yards.
Kampus mostly plays right guard, but he shifts to right tackle when two-way starter Joe Reiff, committed to Notre Dame, gets a break on the offensive side of the ball.
The Dukes face No. 27 Warren (7-4) in the quarterfinals.
2. Aiden Clark, RB, Naperville Central
With the No. 7 Redhawks (10-1) clinging to a 31-28 fourth-quarter lead over Fremd, the offense killed the clock behind Clark’s running and the blocking of linemen Danny Conway, Will Erbeck, Connor Sands, Teddy Vilim and Ashton Neubaum, tight end Ryan Downey and fullback Matt Guerin.
Clark, a senior, rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown on 39 bruising carries.
The Redhawks play at No. 2 Lyons Twp. (11-0) in the Class 8A quarterfinals.
1. Aaron Stewart, RB, Warren
Another repeat honoree. Stewart earned the top spot with 363 rushing yards in Week 1, and just topped himself in Warren’s 35-26 win over No. 11 Barrington.
The junior — whose best sport is actually wrestling — carried the ball 42 times for 373 yards and 5 touchdowns to vault him past the 2,000-yard mark for the season.