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Class 7A State Championship
St. Rita (11-2) vs. Wheaton North (12-1)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday, Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium. The game can be seen in the Chicago area on WCIU Ch. 26 or WMEU Ch. 48. Look on ihsa.org for how you can stream the broadcast on your computer. Also, WRLR 98.3 FM will broadcast the game, starting with pregame at 12:30 p.m. It also can be heard on WRLR.FM on your computer.
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About the Mustangs: St. Rita returns to DeKalb for the second straight postseason, having lost to Rochester 42-28 in the 2019 Class 5A state championship. The Mustangs beat Prospect 42-20 to get here, and have beaten their four playoff opponents by an average margin of 24.5 points. Their last loss came in Week 3 to Loyola, 37-7. St. Rita has won two state titles, the last in 2006 under current head coach Todd Kuska.
The headliner for St. Rita is senior wide receiver Kaleb Brown, an Ohio State recruit and one of the most electric skill-position players in the state. Brown hurt his left leg in a 16-9 Week 1 loss to Mount Carmel, but returned in the Mustangs’ second-round win over Geneva and ran for two TDs in last week’s win over Prospect. In limited action Brown has 11 catches for 189 yards and three TDs this season. Senior RB Kyle Clayton has rushed for 795 yards and seven TDs. Senior QB Tommy Ulatowski has thrown for 1,535 yards and eight TDs with his top targets Brown and EJ Nwagwu, with 31 catches for 567 yards and seven TDs.
The defense is anchored by 6-foot, 230-pound senior defensive lineman Djabrill McNabb, a Class 7A All-State pick. Junior DB Johnny Schmitt has 77 tackles and seven interceptions with a pick-six against Prospect and junior LB Joseph Kingsbury has 92 tackles, four sacks and four tackles for loss. The Mustangs only have one win by single digits this season, a 42-39 Week 6 win over Nazareth and have been fairly dominant ever since.
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About the Falcons: Wheaton North is returning to the state championship game for the first time since winning the 1986 Class 5A state title under longtime coach Jim Rexilius after beating Brother Rice 45-28 in the semifinals. The Falcons have won nine consecutive games since a 23-20 Week 3 loss to Batavia in overtime.
The Falcons’ defense has been the team’s backbone for much of the season. Wheaton North has allowed eight points or fewer to nine of 12 opponents and became just the second opponent to hold Brother Rice’s high-powered offense to fewer than 40 points. Junior LB Ross Dansdill anchors the Wheaton North unit with 66.5 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and senior LB Freddie Elfmann has 75 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and four sacks. Senior DB Kaiden Libby has 40.5 tackles.
Wheaton North’s offense is led by third-year starting QB Mark Forcucci, a Holy Cross recruit, who has completed 67.7% of his passes for 1,847 yards and 22 TDs with just three interceptions and comes off a big game against Brother Rice. His top target is senior Seth Kortenhoeven, a contributor in all three phases for Wheaton North, with 59 catches for 884 yards and six TDs. Senior TE Casey Morrison has caught eight TDs. Senior RB Brayton Maske, another third-year starter, returned from a torn MCL suffered in Week 6 to score a TD last week against Brother Rice, but his status is uncertain after leaving with a leg injury. In his absence junior Luke Beedle and junior Walker Owens have combined to rush for just under 1,500 yards and 20 TDs. The Falcons knocked off one CCL/ESCC opponent by holding down its high-powered offense and scoring their most points since Week 1. They’ll need a similar effort against a St. Rita team surely determined in their return to DeKalb.
Friday Night Drive pick: St. Rita