As usual, the phrase “defense wins championships” was thrown around in a lot of post-game talks Week 6.
That old cliche may be less true than ever. The state’s best high school football teams are almost impossible to stop from scoring. Even Brother Rice’s star-studded defensive line didn’t slow down top-ranked Mount Carmel.
The Caravan knocked off the Crusaders 27-14 in front of the largest crowd in Barda-Dowling Stadium history. Mount Carmel quarterback Emmett Dowling threw for 351 yards.
“They wanted us and they came at us,” Caravan linebacker Stephen Winkler said. “Careful what you wish for.”
There were major offensive fireworks in Mundelein as the state’s best junior quarterbacks were unstoppable. Montini beat Carmel 55-54 in a thriller.
Broncos quarterback Israel Abrams threw for 568 yards in the win. Carmel star Trae Taylor, a Nebraska recruit, threw for 445 yards and five TDs. He also ran for three.
Record setter
Abrams and Taylor will be contenders for Player of the Year honors next season. This year’s winner may already be decided. Lincoln-Way East senior Jonas Williams broke the state record for passing TDs on Friday against Metea Valley.
Williams threw four TDs in the 42-6 win. He now has 131 in his career, shattering the previous record of 127, held by Jordan Roberts of Aurora Christian and Tyler Hutchinson of Greenville.
The USC recruit has thrown for 24 TDs and more than 1,600 yards this season. Williams is closing in on Logan Malachuk’s state record of 11,190 career passing yards. Malachuk set the record last season with Nazareth.
Drake Harris emerges at Kenwood
It’s not a huge year for stars at the skill positions in the Public League. Junior Lawrence Carr opened eyes for Kenwood in a Week 5 victory against Simeon. Morgan Park features Illinois recruit Nasir Rankin and Young has Missouri recruit Max Warner at running back.
There’s another name to watch at Kenwood. Senior Drake Harris, who had an 82-yard TD catch against Simeon, has scored seven TDs this season and is one of the best punt returners in the state.
Harris, who runs a 4.38 40-yard dash, is averaging 29 yards per return with a long of 76 yards and one TD.
The traditional camel ride?
Longtime high school sports stringer Mike Clark covered Hope Academy at Wheaton Academy for the Sun-Times this past weekend and wound up watching a teacher ride across the football field on a camel.
Apparently, it is an annual tradition at Wheaton Academy. The school’s teacher of the year gets to ride the camel.
There are about 200 high school football games across the area every weekend. The camel makes me wonder what other wild traditions we are missing.