Drew Kleinhans and the Oswego football team were reminded by their coach Saturday of the rarefied air they are residing in in program history.

“Huge accomplishment,” Kleinhans said. “Quarterfinal, 10th in Oswego history. Oswego football has won a lot of games. It means a lot.”

It’s extra special in the Kleinhans household.

Drew Kleinhans is Oswego’s junior quarterback and first-year starter. His dad, Ben Kleinhans, is Oswego’s offensive coordinator.

“These playoffs have been very special. He has never made it this far, not at Metea Valley [where Ben was previously head coach],” Drew Kleinhans said. “Last week was very emotional for us, very happy. We watched film, celebrated with each other and the team. This is what I dreamed of, doing it with my dad and those opportunities.”

Kleinhans has had the usual ups and downs of a first-year varsity starting quarterback.

Oswego’s last game was a microcosm of that.

The first half at Lane, Kleinhans completed just 3 of 10 passes for 22 yards. Oswego went into halftime in a 10-10 tie.

“The message at halftime was that we came out a little flat,” Kleinhans said.

But Kleinhans came on strong after halftime, completing 5 of 6 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Oswego scored 35 unanswered points and went on to the 45-10 win.

“I went over a bunch of film on sidelines and thought I was a little trigger-shy,” Kleinhans said. “I wasn’t pulling the trigger. I got my confidence up start of the second half and it went good from there.”

Kleinhans’ turnaround, not coincidentally, started with a 56-yard completion to Teddy Manikas on the first drive of the third quarter. It set up a 9-yard Ammar Banire TD run.

“Teddy at halftime got into me a little bit, he told me he was open,” Kleinhans said. “That first drive I threw that bomb to him, put all my trust in him. Me and him and Mariano [Velasco] did our thing.”

Indeed, Kleinhans later connected with Manikas for a 35-yard TD and Velasco for an 18-yard score.

“There was some frustration on my part at halftime,” Manikas said. “I don’t want to throw shade on the team we were playing, but we weren’t playing our best brand of football. Drew got motivated and he locked in and we eventually ended up winning the game.”

“It’s complementary football,” Oswego coach Brian Cooney said. “Our running game started clicking a bit, we got one-on-one matchups, Teddy being the two big ones, Mariano the other. He was seeing things a little bit better, quick to pull down and run the ball. He got more comfortable as the game wore on.”

Kleinhans has said on more than one occasion that this season has been a dream working alongside his dad. It’s been much more good than bad, but there have been bumps along the way.

“Start with the losses; those are a little rougher,” Kleinhans said. “I know my dad said to another reporter that coaching me has been amazing but also can be one of the tougher things. A lot of film going on the day after a game and over the weekend. He is just giving me tips and tricks.”

And now Oswego is in its first quarterfinal since 2017.

“Like coach Cooney said at the end of the game, he told us not bad for a team not predicted to go this far,” Kleinhans said. “It’s been more ups and downs. Those two losses especially for me I did not play well. This whole season has been a learning experience. I have a better idea what’s going on now.”

Big-play Panthers

Oswego, for its highs and lows offensively this season, has shown itself to be a big-play offense.

The long passes against Lane followed a familiar theme. The previous week, Velasco scored the go-ahead TD with a 61-yard catch-and-run from Kleinhans. Against Oswego East in Week 8, Velasco took a throw from Kleinhans 94 yards for the go-ahead score.

“Hopefully I’m not jinxing us but I can’t remember a team that had more long ones on offense,” Cooney said. “It sure has been the case.”

Manikas also had a 48-yard TD catch and 98-yard punt return for a TD in a win over Bolingbrook.

“I love it. It’s so unexpected and it comes out of nowhere,” Manikas said. “That’s what I love about our guys. We have so many guys who can make plays.”

Next up

Oswego’s next opponent, Maine South, needed a huge comeback last Saturday to stave off an upset bid from Hinsdale Central.

The Hawks trailed by 19 points late in the first half before storming back for a 33-29 win.

Maine South’s headliner is junior QB Jameson Purcell. An Indiana recruit and one of the state’s top prospects at the position, Purcell was 17-for-24 passing for 273 yards and three TDs, and also ran for two scores, against Hinsdale Central.

“Lefty, phenomenal arm, smooth, quick release, fast enough to get the job done with his speed and keeps some plays alive,” Cooney said. “And he utilizes the talent around him well. They know where they want to go. When they find a weakness they go after it. They have weapons everywhere.”

Maine South has won 10 consecutive games since a Week 1 loss to Lincoln-Way East, averaging 44.2 points per game.

“They are a very good team, big and physical, but I think we have a lot of confidence,” Kleinhans said. “Coach Cooney said it will be the best team we have played, watching a lot of film of them. We have to come out firing and play four quarters of Panther football.”