Montini comeback plays well in Springfield

The Montini fans who drove down to Springfield weren't the only ones hooting and hollering about the Broncos' 34-31 victory over Sacred Heart-Griffin.

Montini coach Chris Andriano estimated that a quarter of the crowd watching the game were students from surrounding Springfield schools hoping to see Griffin's 48-game regular-season home winning streak come to an end.

It didn't look like it would happen as Montini reportedly fell behind 14-0, 28-7 and 31-14 before scoring 20 straight points in the last 9:38, including the winning touchdown as time expired.

"It completed the most incredible and biggest comeback we've ever had," said 30-year Broncos coach Chris Andriano.

The Hall of Fame coach added that after Tom DiCristina crossed the goal line, "It was just euphoria."

"Half the students that rushed the field were from other schools," Andriano said. "It was like a college scene. If they could have torn down the goalposts I think they would have. But they got quickly ushered off the field."

Schedule shuffling

A bunch of changes are coming to the area's football schedule in 2009.

The most notable change comes from Naperville, where Neuqua Valley and Naperville Central will begin an annual series in Week 2. Both schools already play Naperville North and Waubonsie Valley.

"It'll be great for the community," said Redhawks coach Mike Stine. "Everyone's excited about it."

Naperville North is also changing its Week 2 matchup. Instead of facing Oswego East the Huskies will play St. Charles East, renewing a series that ended after the 2002 season.

Lake Park, ending its series with Naperville Central, will begin playing Glenbard East in Week 2 of next year. That'll end the Rams' brief relationship with Oak Lawn.

Downers Grove North, completing its Week 1 series against Prospect, will play Lockport next year.

Wheaton Warrenville South plays Joliet Catholic tonight, but it's based on a one-year contract. Next year the Tigers begin playing another state power - Maine South - in Week 2.

A winning start

First-year West Chicago coach Hal Chiodo didn't know what to expect from his team in its season opener against Evanston, but he sure liked what he saw.

The Wildcats claimed a hard fought 13-0 victory, putting the program in position to break out to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2003 if they can beat Batavia tonight.

"I had no idea how we were going to come out," said Chiodo, the coach at Morton the last 13 years. "But they responded well."

Chiodo credits the senior class as a whole for showing the character to start the season on a high note, noting that the Class of 2009 didn't win a game at the freshman or sophomore levels.

"It's a group of guys who have really stuck together," Chiodo said. "It's a great group of kids."

Opening shots

Just hours before game time last Friday, Addison Trail learned that three of its players would be suspended for violating the school's athletic code.

And just minutes into the game, the Blazers lost running back Mike D'Ambrose to shin splints and two-way lineman Marcus Capizzano to an ankle injury.

It certainly wasn't the opener they planned on, and they Blazers fell 49-0 to Wheaton North. D'Ambrose is getting daily treatment in hopes of playing tonight, but coach Paul Parpet expects Capizzano to miss about five games. As for the suspended players, they'll likely miss three games.

Despite the setbacks, others stepped up. Parpet singled out defensive tackle Colton Musto, safety Joe Muraglia and linebacker Anthony Beltrano, who became the first Blazers sophomore to start on both sides of the ball in Parpet's 28 years.

"Our guys never gave up," Parpet said. "No one out there quit."

Quote of Week 1

Both Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet, whose team won its opener, and Waubonsie Valley's Paul Murphy, whose team lost its, said basically the same thing: Teams make their biggest jump from Week 1 to Week 2.

Whether it was turnovers, penalties, stalled drives or whatever, hopefully things will improve in Week 2 for:

Immaculate Conception, which had 247 yards rushing to victorious Aurora Christian's 10 with 30 seconds left in the game;

Willowbrook, which forced 6 Glenbard East turnovers and committed none;

Downers Grove South, which ran 82 offensive plays to Bolingbrook's 85; and Hinsdale Central, whose quarterback John Whitelaw accounted for 183 yards of offense in the first half.