Loyola against Maine South doesn’t need to be hyped up — two of the premier programs in the state squaring off in a Class 8A quarterfinal.
But after almost two quarters of clunky football Saturday, the game needed some juice. Ramblers senior Donovan Robinson was there to provide it.
Robinson intercepted a pass by Hawks sophomore Jameson Purcell and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to tie the score just before halftime.
‘‘We read it right,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘I saw it, and then I just had to execute. It felt good making a play for my team.’’
Running back Drew MacPherson and Loyola’s stagnant offense came to life in the second half, and the Ramblers beat Maine South 35-14 in Wilmette.
‘‘[The interception] got everyone’s juices going,’’ Loyola coach Beau Desherow said. ‘‘We were able to go in at halftime and make the adjustments we needed, and the offense came out clicking.’’
Robinson’s touchdown tied the score at 7, and MacPherson gave the Ramblers (10-2) a 14-7 lead on an 81-yard touchdown run with 8:35 left in the third quarter.
‘‘I have decent trust in my speed,’’ MacPherson said. ‘‘So when I didn’t see anyone in front of me, I thought I’d be able to house it.’’
Purcell connected with Joey Naughton for a 30-yard touchdown pass later in the third to pull the Hawks into a tie at 14, but it was all Loyola from then on.
‘‘We had a key injury in the second half, and that really hurt us,’’ Maine South coach Dave Inserra said. ‘‘We showed up ready for a fight and gave it to them. That was an earned victory. The final score was not indicative of the game.’’
MacPherson had 24 carries for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
‘‘When you give Drew a little bit of space, he is dangerous,’’ Desherow said. ‘‘He’s so patient.’’
Ramblers quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald played through an injury most of the season, but he has been running the ball more in the last two games — a key feature of Loyola’s offense. Against the Hawks, he had 10 carries for 56 yards. He also was 10-for-16 for 68 yards with a one-yard touchdown pass to Conlon Kane and an interception.
‘‘We were sleeping in the first half,’’ MacPherson said. ‘‘The coaches definitely let us know. That was a wake-up call.’’
Ryan Fitzgerald to Conlon Kane for a TD. Loyola leads Maine South 21-14 very late in the 3Q. pic.twitter.com/qIQeBQIvOF
— Michael O’Brien (@michaelsobrien) November 16, 2024
Maine South (8-4) entered the game on a seven-game winning streak behind Purcell, who had torched defenses in the playoffs.
‘‘We wanted to make him uncomfortable,’’ Ramblers linebacker Max Mendoza said. ‘‘Just pressure him, get him scrambling and make sure he throws it out in space.’’
Purcell was 13-for-33 for 142 yards with two interceptions.
‘‘[Maine South] got us on a couple of things,’’ Desherow said. ‘‘But for the most part our defense played pretty well.’’
Loyola will travel to Frankfort to face undefeated and top-ranked Lincoln-Way East in the 8A semifinals next weekend. The Ramblers have ended the Griffins’ last three seasons, beating them in the quarterfinals in 2021 and in the championship game the last two seasons.
‘‘[Maine South] is also a huge rivalry for us,’’ Desherow said. ‘‘This playoff atmosphere was a good taste for our kids to get ready to head down [to Frankfort].’’