Lake Zurich pins loss on St. Rita

Mike Shield wrapped up a state wrestling champ, hoisted him and slammed him.

The Lake Zurich linebacker got no takedown points, but rather high fives and shoulder-pad slams from exuberant teammates.

“That's just instinct,” Shield, trying to be modest, said of a late-first half tackle for loss of St. Rita running back Jahwon Akui on third-and-2 from the Lake Zurich 15. “That's how we practice tackling. We just play relentless like that.”

The night got only better for Shield. He added an interception, forced fumble and why not? the final touchdown that sealed Lake Zurich's 21-0 win over visiting St. Rita in the teams' Class 7A state semifinal Saturday night.

At game's end, head coach Bryan Stortz's Bears raised their hands high champions.

If they can beat undefeated Wheaton Warrenville South in Saturday's 4 p.m. game in Champaign, Lake Zurich's players will be state champs for the second time in four years.

“Mike Shield had a great game,” Bears linebacker Taylor Coleman said. “Mike Shield is a psycho.”

Lake Zurich (12-1) played a great game defensively, forcing 4 turnovers and holding Akui, the Class 3A state wrestling champ at 171 pounds last winter, to 81 rushing yards on 24 carries.

“You turn the ball over in the playoffs and bad things happen,” said St. Rita coach Todd Kuska, whose Mustangs finished 11-2. “Turnovers got us, and (Lake Zurich) played a great football game against us. We didn't execute as well as we could have, but they had a lot to do with it. They're a great football team.”

A Lake Zurich defensive play set the tone.

Undersized end William Hussey pounced on a St. Rita fumble in the first quarter, and seven plays later Lake Zurich quarterback Zach Till raced 13 yards into the end zone on an option keeper.

The score was still 6-0 early in the third quarter when Jacob Brinlee returned a punt 43 yards to the St. Rita 18. On third-and-goal from the 6, Till tossed a screen to fullback John Mularz, who took a hit on the goal line but broke the plane with 7:49 left. Brinlee ran in the conversion.

“The offense knew we had to have a big week,” Lake Zurich center Steve Garcia said. “Their defense is a very prestigious defense. We knew their offense and Jahwon Akui could score, so we knew we had to put up points. Coach Stortz called the right plays at the right time, and we won the game. Great feeling.”

St. Rita was attempting a late rally when Shield forced a fumble after a short completion from Brandon Johnson (13-of-25 passing, 130 yards) to Mitch Saffold. Kiah McGee recovered for Lake Zurich.

Seven plays later, Shield took just his third carry of the night and darted into the end zone from 3 yards out with 1:38 left.

“I got to the huddle and (Stortz) was like, ‘Shield, you want one? I was like, ‘Yes, sir,' ” Shield said.

St. Rita's final possession ended in another lost fumble, and Lake Zurich had secured its third trip downstate in five years.

“We got a great defense,” said Coleman, who had 2 tackles for loss on a third-quarter St. Rita possession that ended with Grant Soucy breaking up a fourth-and-3 pass in the end zone.

“We schemed all week. We got great coaches and they prepared us. As a unit, we're a great team. We don't got a lot of stars on this team, but we play as a family.”