Here are highlights and notes from semifinal playoff results around the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Chicago rivals Brother Rice, St. Rita to battle for 7A state title

A pair of longtime rivals from Chicago’s South Side, St. Rita and Brother Rice, are set to compete for the Class 7A state championship.

It’ll be a rematch of a Week 3 game between the two Catholic League programs, whose histories date back several decades. Brother Rice (12-1), which dominated its semifinal game against Downers Grove North on Saturday, got the best of St. Rita (9-4) in the regular season, beating the Mustangs 28-10 at Doyle Stadium.

“I have a lot of Brother Rice family members,” St. Rita coach Martin Hopkins said. “I’m sure there a lot of split families on the south side, so Thanksgiving will be pretty interesting this year. We’re definitely excited about the opportunity to be down at state and to avenge that Week 3 loss for our seniors and our program.”

The Mustangs, who have galloped through the second half of their season after starting with a 2-4 record, are seeking their third state championship in program history and the first since 2006. St. Rita, which has won seven straight games, scored 26 points in the third quarter to secure a 54-34 semifinal win over Batavia.

“It says a lot about this group and sticking together,” Hopkins said. “When we hit those bumps, we still had the opportunity to reach that goal of winning a state championship, but we had to be in playoff mode after Week 6. We’ve handled our business every week and we’re not done yet. In over 100 years of St. Rita football, there are only a handful of times who have been down to state.”

Wide receivers Walter Jones and Donovan Evans combined for 190 yards on 12 catches, while running backs Brandon Johnson Jr., and Damon Sutton Jr., compiled 143 yards on 20 carries to propel the Mustangs past the Bulldogs on Saturday. St. Rita is posting close to 43 points per game in the playoffs, but the Mustangs will need to break a Brother Rice defense allowing just 11 points a game.

“We’re both different teams from who we were in Week 3,” Hopkins said. “We’re hitting our stride at the right time. We’re healthy and we’re clicking, so we’re going to be ready for the challenge... At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you win and it doesn’t have to be pretty, but you have to be the last man standing.”

The Crusaders have stormed through their end of the 7A playoff bracket, breezing past Downers Grove North and Minnesota recruit Owen Lansu in the semifinals after dominating St. Charles North and Northwestern recruit Keaton Reinke in the quarterfinals. The Crusaders, who’re shooting for their first state title since 1981, have allowed just 35 total points over four postseason games.

“The kids are excited that they earned another week,” Brother Rice coach Casey Quedenfeld said. “The keys to success at this given point are the turnover battle, field position, penalties... All of that stuff matters and we need to convert when it matters most.”

Saturday’s game will mark somewhat unfamiliar territory for the Crusaders, who’ve made the state finals only twice since winning the 1981 6A championship. But with players like Army quarterback recruit C.J. Gray and Illinois defensive line recruit King Liggins leading the charge, Brother Rice, which has been ranked No. 1 in the 7A AP Poll practically all year, is prepared to finish on top.

“In the Catholic League, you can’t just roll out of bed and expect things,” Quedenfeld said. “[St. Rita] went through some bumps and bruises early in their season, but at the end of the day, it’s not about what happened before. It’s about what’s happening right now. They’re here right now and they’re a physical football team.”

The 7A state title game is one of two title games that will feature a rematch between CCL/ESCC opponents. But the 7A game with Brother Rice and St. Rita, two schools located fewer than 5 miles away from each other, will likely draw a large crowd of families and followers from Chicago’s South Side. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium.

“I know a lot of people in the neighborhood are probably buzzing,” Quedenfeld said. “We just need to play our game. Since the day I got here, our boys have bought into the mindset of worrying about ourselves. I learned that from my mentors and I believe in that.”

Providence, St. Francis to reunite for 5A state championship

The high-powered passing attack of St. Francis collided head-on with the physical Providence rushing attack in Week 5, when the Spartans handed the Celtics a 47-35 defeat on their home field.

On Saturday, Providence and St. Francis will reunite, this time for the 5A state championship. After three consecutive years of losing in the semifinals, the Spartans (10-3) broke through to reach the championship game, winning 35-13 over previously undefeated Belvidere North. St. Francis eyes its first state title since 2008.

“It’s been a long time coming,” St. Francis coach Bob McMillen said. “They made it a mission to get there this year, not just for themselves, but for the teams prior. There were a lot of emotions and it was an amazing feeling, but the weekend is over now and it’s time for us to get ready for a really tough Providence team.”

The Spartans racked up over 400 total yards and quarterback Brock Phillip, a Geneva transfer, fired four touchdown passes to wide receiver and SIU commit Dario Milivojevic during the Week 5 win over the Celtics in New Lenox. But the two CCL/ESCC teams have evolved since meeting on the field roughly two months ago.

“Their quarterback is playing at an extremely high level,” McMillen said. “Their running game is still as physical as it was the first time we played them. They made some changes on the defensive side of the ball and they’ve opened their playbook up some more. Their quarterback is throwing the ball more than he did against us.”

The Celtics (10-3) have won seven of their last eight games since losing to St. Francis, beating Kankakee, Washington and Oak Forest in the last three weeks. Despite the loss, Providence ran the ball at a high rate against the Spartans in Week 5, when Broden Mackert carried the ball 17 times for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

“Being able to play someone you lost to earlier... it’s awesome to get a second crack at someone and redeem that loss,” Providence coach Tyler Plantz said. “We struggled in coverage and they had some big, explosive plays. Special teams is usually a strength of ours and that was a weakness in that game... We’ve matured a lot as a group and we’re really excited to take on the challenge again.”

A key development for the Celtic offense has been the play of sophomore quarterback Dom Vita, who threw a 40-yard touchdown pass and ran in a 1-yard touchdown to help Providence beat Oak Forest 31-21 during Saturday’s semifinal. Hitting on big pass plays, something the Celtics failed to do against St. Francis the first time, will be paramount during this weekend’s state final.

“His ability to manage the game has been awesome,” Plantz said. “To be able to slow things down and speed things up... that takes some repetition to build that comfort level and I think he’s done that... the way he’s been able to progress this season from a young quarterback to a veteran quarterback in being able to lead the team and make big-time throws... We can really lean on him.”

To win its first title in 17 years, St. Francis will need to beat the same team twice, something Mount Carmel did against Loyola in back-to-back weeks to start its run to the 8A state championship game this year. For the Celtics, who will play in their 15th state final, defense and special teams are two areas that will need to shine bright. The 5A game will kick at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

“It’s extremely difficult,” McMillen said. “When you play a team twice, you now know their personnel, what they can do and how physical they are. That’s all out of the bag for both of us, but they have the momentum in saying, ‘This team beat us’... There are a bunch of kids who want to prove that they lost to a team early in the season, but they’re better and they want to go prove it.”