Scouting high school football semifinals
Class 8A
No 4 Fremd (11-1) at No. 1 Mt. Carmel (12-0)
When: Saturday, 5 p.m.
Last week: Fremd 34, Bolingbrook 33; Mt. Carmel; Mt. Carmel 48, Lincoln-Way East 7
Previous meeting: First meeting:
How they got here: Fremd beat Huntley 41-14; beat Lyons 45-21, Beat Bolingbrook 34-33; Mt. Carmel beat Loyola 21-17; Belleville East 48-29; Lincoln-Way East 48-7
Advancement: Winner plays winner of No. 26 Lockport vs. No. 11 Oswego
Outlook: First time semifinalist Fremd meets perennial playoff power Mt. Carmel in what many feel is David vs. Goliath matchup. Both teams are coached by former Northern Illinois University stars with Fremd coach Lou Sponsel playing for the Huskies for three seasons in the late 1990s while Jordan Lynch starred for the Huskies in the 2010s. “It is unchartered territory for our program, and it shows what our program is capable of and this group has set a new standard for those to follow,” Sponsel said. “It is also really great for those who came before us. We have had a lot of alumni and former players reach out and express their pride in the program.”
Fremd: In their 30th appearance in the playoffs, the Vikings are making their first trip to the semifinals. This is just the seventh time Fremd is playing a private school in the playoffs. The Vikings have wins over Loyola (2007) and Brother Rice (2016). Fremd lost to Holy Cross (1977), Marist (2009), Loyola (2010) and Notre Dame (2013).
Fremd will be looking to go on the attack behind quarterback Johnny O’Brien, who Sponsel says has “generational talent.” O’Brien has shown that all season by throwing for 2,656 yards and 32 touchdowns while completing 66% of his passes. He also ran for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Fremd’s only loss this season came when O’Brien was out with a foot injury.
O’Brien has many weapons to throw to. Marquan Brewster, who is committed to Western Illinois, leads the team with 76 receptions for 1,147 yards and 13 touchdowns. Ben Riddle has 43 catches for 724 yards and 10 touchdowns while Carter MacDonald (40 receptions, 421 yards, 4 touchdowns), Jay Box (32 receptions, 292 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Jayden Faulkner (20 receptions, 271 yards, 3 touchdowns) are all threats.
Faulkner (552 yards, 10 touchdowns) leads the running attack while Jason Hardy (243 yards, 5 touchdowns) also is a key factor. They operate behind an offensive line anchored by Northwestern-commit Owen Jakubczak.
“We have our identity, we always put the game in the hands of Johnny O’Brien,” Sponsel said. “There has not been one game where Johnny has not accomplished the task in front of him. We need to be sound up front, we will not dominate the line of scrimmage, we need to slow them down, minimize their pass rush and give Johnny the time to execute the play. On the perimeter, we need to run smart, clean routes with great effort every play. Faulkner has gotten better every week and been a great weapon this season. We will continue to use his talents.”
The Fremd defense, which came up with a huge play by turning away Bolingbrook’s two-point conversion attempt in the final minute last week, has been overshadowed by the Vikings offense all season. The defense is led by Tom O’Brien, Troy Pepe, Hardy, Michale Murray, Anthony D’ Ambrosio, Jakubczak and Brewster.
“You don’t stop their offense,” Sponsel said. “The task at hand is to slow them down and not give up home runs. Our defensive staff has been phenomenal all year. We have a very talented group of coaches and players on that side of the ball that can game plan with the best of them and they adjust really well.”
Mt. Carmel: The Caravan have been to the state playoffs 40 times and have a state-best 16 titles, including the last three in Class 7A. The Caravan moved up to 8A this season.
Mt. Carmel has plenty of Goliaths on its roster. It features eight players that either have committed to Power 5 schools, or have multiple offers. Five of those players are on defense.
Joey Quinn, who is 6-foot-6, 250 pounds and plays defensive line, had committed to Vanderbilt before decommitting last month. Defensive lineman Braeden Jones, who is 6-4, 250 pounds, has committed to USC. Roman Igwebuike, who is a 6-3, 220-pound linebacker, has 42 Division I offers, defensive back Tavares Harrington has 34 D1 offers and Caleb Tucker, who is 6-5, 355 pounds, has 19 DI offers.
The offense features a trio of future D-1 players. Quentin Burrell is a 6-3 junior wide receiver who has 35 D-1 offers while sophomore wide receiver Marshaun Thornton has 20 offers. Offensive linemen Claude Mpouma, who is 6-7, 308 pounds, has committed to Nebraska.
Emmett Dowling, who has an offer from D-III power Wisconsin-Whitewater, is in his second season as starting quarterback. He threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns last week against Lincoln-Way East. Nathan Samuels, who scored three touchdowns and accounted for almost 200 yards last week against LWE, starts at running back.
Sponsel said he and his team realize what’s in front of them. But Sponsel also feels that his team will be ready for the challenge.
“In our team meeting we emphasized it is about the guys in the room,” Sponsel said. “If there is any team in 8A that can beat Mt. Carmel, it is us. We are in this semifinal for a reason. We will do what we have done all year, prepare, execute, have a next play mentality, and stick together. I love this group of coaches, players and our families. I wouldn’t want to go into this challenge with any other group.”
Class 7A
No. 15 Downers Grove North (10-2) at No. 6 Brother Rice (11-1)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
About the Trojans: Downers Grove North is in the semifinals for the second time in three seasons, having taken second place in Class 7A in 2023. The Trojans are coming off an efficient, impressive 28-10 win over Lincoln-Way West in a quarterfinal. Minnesota recruit Owen Lansu threw for 209 yards and touchdowns to Max Troha and Oliver Thulin, and ran for a third score, in the first half. He’s now been back for six games since missing four with a broken left non-throwing arm. Thulin, Troha, Caden Chiarelli and Will Vala are all two-way threats both as playmakers around Lansu and part of a Downers Grove North defense that has not budged even with Purdue recruit Aiden Solecki out since Week 7 with a knee injury. The Trojans kept Lincoln-Way West out of the end zone into the fourth quarter after holding Glenbard West to just one score.
About the Crusaders: Brother Rice, which was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press Class 7A statewide poll, has looked the part in the postseason. The Crusaders beat their first two opponents by a combined 103-0 margin and comfortably beat DuKane Conference co-champion St. Charles North 42-18 in the quarterfinal. The Crusaders are now a win away from the program’s fourth championship game appearance, and first since taking second in Class 8A in 2018. Brother Rice’s only loss came to Class 8A No 1 Mount Carmel, 27-14 in Week 6. The team’s calling card is a defensive line led by Illinois recruit King Liggins, four-star junior prospect Brayden Parks and four-star sophomore Kameron McGee, rated the No. 1 player in Illinois’ Class of 2028. Leading the offense is senior QB and Army recruit CJ Gray. Running backs Jaylin Green and Jameson Davis each scored twice and Brother Rice’s defense had five sacks and allowed just five yards rushing in the first half in the win over St. Charles North.
Advancement: Winner plays the winner of No. 13 Batavia (10-2) at No. 25 St. Rita (8-4).
No. 13 Batavia (10-2) at No. 25 St. Rita (8-4)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
About the Bulldogs: Batavia is making a return to the state semifinals for the fourth straight season, going 2-1 during that stretch with runner-up finishes in Class 7A in both 2022 and 2024. It also marks the ninth time in program history that the Bulldogs made it to the semifinals, eight of which have been with coach Dennis Piron at the helm. The Bulldogs defeated DuKane Conference rival Glenbard North 42-27 in the quarterfinal round. Junior Michael Vander Luitgaren paced the way with three first-half passing touchdowns, two of them to Brett Berggren and the other to Thomas Prescott. The junior QB now has 32 total touchdowns on the season while throwing for 2,413 yards. Running backs Preston Brummel and Henry Hahn continued to share the backfield, with each back getting a rushing touchdown in the contest. The one downside in the game were fumbles on back-to-back drives, marking the first time this season that the Bulldogs have had multiple turnovers. Defensively, Batavia continued to thrive, holding Panthers star running back Donato Gatses to under 100 rushing yards for just the second time this season, with the first coming in their Week 3 matchup. Cornerback Andrew Culotta also came up with some key plays on defense, getting a 67-yard pick-six, a fumble recovery on a muffed punt and an onside kick recovery to ice the game. Batavia has outscored opponents 91-14 in the first half of all three playoff games combined, and currently ride a seven-game winning streak, with their only losses coming on the final plays of the game to Glenbard West in Week 1 and St. Charles North in Week 5.
About the Mustangs: St. Rita is one of three CCL/ESCC Green Division teams making an appearance in the state semifinals. Once 2-4, the Mustangs have won each of their last six games to make their third semifinal appearance in the last four seasons. They’ve had to pull out some gritty wins in the playoffs to get to the semifinals, pulling off close wins against Guilford and Lincoln-Way Central in the first two rounds before winning a 56-42 shootout against Hersey in the quarterfinals. Leading the offensive attack for the Mustangs has been junior running back Brandon Johnson Jr., who has 1,036 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on the season and has five straight games with over 100 rushing yards. Three-year starting QB Steven Armbruster is coming off his best game of the season, throwing for 261 yards and three scores, two of them to senior wideout Walter Jones, who had 196 yards off four catches in the game. Much like Batavia, the Mustangs’ kryptonite in the playoffs over the past three seasons has been Mount Carmel, which is now in 8A. Coincidentally, St. Rita’s last appearance in the state title game came in 2021, when they fell to Wheaton North 35-6 in the final. All four of their losses (Mount Carmel, Brother Rice, St. Francis and Nazareth) came against teams that are also in the state semifinals.
Advancement: Winner takes on winner of No. 15 Downers Grove North (10-2) at No. 6 Brother Rice (11-1) in Class 7A title game
Class 5A
No. 9 St. Francis (9-3) at No. 2 Belvidere North (12-0)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday.
Playoff history: St. Francis is making its 21st playoff appearance. The Spartans own a 28-17 career record in postseason play. They finished first in 2008 (5A). St. Francis defeated Morgan Park (35-28) in the first round of the playoffs, and edged Prairie Ridge (41-38) in the second round before last week’s quarterfinal triumph over Chicago King (44-14). Belvidere North is making its 13th playoff appearance. The Blue Thunder own an 11-12 career record in postseason play. Belvidere North opened the first round of the playoffs with a win over Chicago Noble/Bulls (49-20), defeated Kaneland in the second round (30-25), and edged Cary-Grove (17-10) in last weekend’s quarterfinals.
About the Spartans: Will the fourth time be the charm for St. Francis, which makes its fourth consecutive semifinal appearance? “We’ve been here before four times now,” said Spartans coach Bob McMillen following last weekend’s 44-14 quarterfinal triumph over Chicago King. “Hopefully, one of these times we’re going to get through this and push through.” Senior quarterback Brock Phillip, who completed 10 of 11 passes for 126 yards and a pair of touchdowns against King, has thrown for 2,212 yards and 26 TDs while rushing for 509 yards and 10 TDs. “He’s playing really good football right now, and that’s what you need at this time,” said McMillen. All-state senior nose guard Jaylen Torres, a 4-year varsity player, has experienced three previous semifinal losses. “This year, I think we’ve got what it takes to make it to state,” said Torres. “We’ve got to come out with physicality and set the tone for the game.” Senior WR/DB Tanner Glock, who caught 5 passes for 63 yards with a touchdown and added a fumble recovery for a touchdown last weekend, looks forward to the challenge. “We’re going to come out and be better than we were the last three years — and go get it,” said Glock. “It’ll be a different environment (road game on natural grass), but you can’t control that.” In addition to Glock, the Spartans feature D1 receivers Zach Washington (Michigan State), Dario Milivojevic (SIU), and junior tailback Tivias Caldwell. Junior kicker Evan Kolinski booted field goals of 26, 35, and 46 yards against King.
About the Blue Thunder: Belvidere North wears down defenses with its option offense, a run-heavy approach designed for time-consuming drives. That was evident during the Blue Thunder’s 30-25 second-round playoff victory over Kaneland when they ran five plays that generated 20-plus yards in the second half. Last weekend, the Blue Thunder showed they will surprise teams through the air as well, as quarterback Andrew Bucci connected with Nathan Alexander on a 71-yard play-action pass for a touchdown — the team’s only pass of the contest. Air Force Academy commit Ben Bucher leads the running backs group, supported by Erick Roman, Xavian McElroy, and a strong running quarterback in Bucci. “It’s a tough offense to simulate at practice,” said McMillen. “They have an unbelievable quarterback, a fullback who runs extremely hard, and their linemen are physical, so we have to go out and do our jobs.” St. Francis faced a similar option team two weeks ago when it outlasted top-seeded Prairie Ridge. “I think it helps us,” said McMillen. Coached by 2009 Dundee-Crown graduate Jeff Beck, Belvidere North averages 34 points per game while allowing 13 points per contest. Blue Thunder kicker Jovanni Pina booted a 40-yard field goal against Cary-Grove. This is Belvidere North’s first state semifinal appearance in the school’s 18-year history.
Advancement: The St. Francis-Belvidere North winner will face either No. 2 Oak Forest (11-1) or No. 5 Providence Catholic (9-3) in the Class 5A state championship at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Normal.
Class 4A
No. 2 Morris (11-1) at No. 1 Montini (12-0)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
About Morris: Morris has done a pretty good job of morphing into whatever that week’s game needs from its roster, whether it be a high-scoring game like in a second-round matchup with Metamora or a grind-it-out affair such as its quarterfinal win over Geneseo. When worse comes to worse though, Morris has a completely reliable option in its backfield with Caeden Curran, who rushed 39 times for 226 yards and two scores in the win over Geneseo. But Morris is likely going to need a step-up effort from its defensive unit because trying to match Montini point for point hasn’t worked well for anyone this season. Champions of the Interstate 8 Conference, Morris’ only loss came in Week 9 to Byron Center (Mich.). Morris, which lost in the 2022 and 2024 Class 5A semifinals, seeks its first championship game appearance since finishing as Class 4A runner-up in 2017.
About the Broncos: Montini, defending Class 3A champions, has had little difficulty navigating its path in a higher classification. The Broncos shook off a somewhat slow start offensively to roll past Coal City 35-0 last week and have won three playoff games by an average margin of 36.3 points. In fact, Montini really has not been tested since a Week 6 win over Carmel. Montini’s defense has allowed just 33 points combined in the six games since that Carmel win. Johnny Louise had two sacks and an interception and All-State pick Santino Tenuta also had two sacks against Coal City. Israel Abrams threw for 247 yards and three TDs, two to Nico Castaldo and one to Damacio Ortegon, and ran for a score against Coal City. Charles Flowers ran for 77 yards and a TD.
Advancement: Winner plays the winner of No. 4 Breese Central (11-1 at No. 3 Rochester (11-1).
— Joel Boenitz and Joshua Welge from Shaw Local News Network contributed to this preview.