By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
Courage.
Webster defines it as “strength in the face of pain or grief.”
As in the entire 2018 Joliet Catholic Academy varsity football team, which as 4-4 and faced elimination from the IHSA State Playoffs, way back on October 19 at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles.
Trailing the powerful Dons 17-7 in a must-win or go home-situation, the Hilltoppers scored the final 26 points of the game to pick up their playoff-clinching fifth win.
Courage.
Let’s fast-forward to Saturday Nov. 24 in Champaign on the campus of the University of Illinois.
At halftime of the IHSA Class 5A State Football championship game, against Montini Catholic, Hilltopper senior running back, Keenan Hailey hobbles off Memorial Stadium’s Kuppke Field on crutches.
Courage.
Working furiously with Hilltopper team doctor, Dr. Ray Meyer and Athletic Trainer, Saul Ramirez, courage from Hailey was exhibited when the All-State running back returned to the game.
Hailey had scored the first Hilltopper touchdown but an injured ankle forced him to retire to the sidelines early in the second quarter.
With nine minutes remaining in the state championship game the Hilltoppers trailed 27-21.
Led by another example of extreme courage Hilltopper senior fullback Nick Iannantone, put the Hillmen on his back and rushed for 269 yards and two touchdowns when Hailey re-entered the game.
The Hilltoppers had the ball at the Montini 28.
Hailey ran for four yards on two carries.
Iannanatone moved the ball to the 18 and then from there scored his third, touchdown of the game. After, senior place-kicker Tony Trabold’s fourth point-after-touchdown the Hilltoppers, led 28-27.
After a defensive stand, JCA got the ball back and with 1:13 remaining in the game Hailey raced 33-yards for his second touchdown of the game. With Trabold’s PAT the Hilltoppers led 35-27.
Courage.
A strange turn-of-events took place due to Hailey’s courageous touchdown jaunt. Scoring so fast game Montini still had life.
With a touchdown and a two-point conversion, the Broncos could force overtime.
If Hailey slides down prior to the end zone, the Hilltoppers have the ball, Montini is out of times outs and JCA can line up in victory formation and run the clock out.
“My football IQ was very poor on my final touchdown run,” Hailey said. “I should have went down to the ground and picked up the first down, that would have wrapped up the state championship. I am very happy that we came away with the state championship in the way we did to put the final scene in this truly Hollywood-like 2018 season.”
Courage.
It took another example of courage as the Hilltopper defense had to stop the Broncos’ last-stand.
On a fourth down and goal at the Hilltopper seven, on the final play of the game, Montini quarterback, Robert Brazill, was hit by Hilltopper senior linebacker Max Briscoe.
Brazille’s pass went right into the hands of Hilltopper defensive lineman Andrew Gorski and the Hillmen were the Class 5A State Champions.
“It felt really good to hit Brazille and help cause the game-winning interception,” Briscoe said. “After my hit on Brazille all I saw was a mass of humanity and then I realized Andrew (Gorski) had intercepted the pass and the game was over. Imagine that our big lineman made an interception on the final play of the game to win our state championship.”
Gorski couldn’t believe it either.
“When the pass fell into my hands everything was like it was in slow-motion,” Gorski said. “The feeling I felt was like no other feeling I have ever felt. I didn’t even know Max (Briscoe) was blitzing on the play but I am sure glad he did.”
Courage.
On Tuesday afternoon, Joliet officials and members of the community were on-hand to honor the record-setting 14th IHSA State football championship team.
Athletic Director Dan Sharp, who led the Hilltoppers to six of the titles, opened the rally, that was attended by the entire JCA student body, the Hilltopper families and friends and local dignitaries, from the City of Joliet and from Will County .
For senior Nick Iannantone Saturday was the best day of his young life
After the Hillltoppers’ season-opening victory over St. Rita, Iannanatone said, “After not doing much for us the last two years, it really feels great, to finally be making contributions for us.”
Courage
All Iannantone did was rush for 318 yards and score three touchdowns on a Class 5A state title game record 40 carries in the state championship win.
Iannantone finished the season with 1,615 yards and 17 touchdowns.
“If someone would have told me, that I would run for 318 yards and score three touchdowns helping us win the Class 5A state championship, I would have told them they were nuts.” Iannantone said. “Saturday was the best day of my life. To have to do it without one of my best friends (Keenan Hailey) out there with me, made it all the more special when Keenan returned to the game.”
“I want to thank ‘The Big Dogs” our offensive line, who were outstanding all season. I also want to thank our young players who stepped up on Saturday after Keenan’s injury. We could not have won the state championship without their efforts.”
Hailey closes out his record-breaking season with 2,639 yards, the best individual season in the illustrious history of Hilltopper football.
“The State Championship is unbelievable.” Hailey said. “I want to thank “The Big Dogs and our entire team, for making this become a reality. With our backs against the wall at Notre Dame to where we are now is something out of a Hollywood movie.”
Hailey’s season wasn’t the only history made this year.
“We were the first school in IHSA football history to have, had to win their Week 9 game to make the playoffs and to go on and win a state championship,” Hillltopper senior lineman Ryan Laule.
“Simply an amazing feeling to win this state championship,” offensive lineman Ty O’Janovac said. “What our offensive line and our amazing backs, together, accomplished in our state title run was simply amazing. We were in total sync every game.”
The unsung hero for the Hilltoppers, who came up with the play of the game was senior defensive back Matt Yanke, who displayed another example of courage with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Hilltoppers had just failed to get a first down on a fourth and three at their own 24-yard line. Trailing 27-21, it looked like the Hilltopper gamble was going to cost them the game.
On a second and an 11 at the Hilltopper 24, Yanke intercepted a Brazille pass at the Hilltoppers’ 16-yard line.
The 14-play, 84-yard ‘Drive for 14’ followed, as Iannantone’s 18-yard score gave JCA the one-point lead.
Courage
“We really needed to stop them from scoring after they stopped us on downs at our own 24,” Yanke said. “I needed to make something happen for us and it felt so good to get the interception. And it was so rewarding for me to see our guys take the ball down the field and score the game-winning touchdown.”
Another unsung hero was Trabold, who unlike his Montini counterpart, was perfect on all five point-after touchdowns, including the game-winner, that gave the Hillltoppers, the 28-27 lead, they would not relinquish.
“On the game-winning extra point, it was just like being here at JCA on the practice field. As a sophomore I was kicking for our 1-8 season. Two years ago, our seniors on the final day of that season said, don’t ever forget the feeling of being 1-8. We did not and now we are Class 5A State Champions.”
For Hilltopper second-year head football coach, Jake Jaworski, back in August, he felt the Hilltoppers could be in this position — as state champions.
“This was a special group who went through adversity with last year’s 3-6 season,” Jaworski said. “They worked exceptionally hard in the off season and we knew if we could just get into the playoffs we could make a deep run. The East Suburban Catholic Conference was the best football conference in the state this year. Our nonconference schedule with St. Rita and Immaculate Conception would prepare for a deep tournament run.”
Nazareth won the Class 7A title, while ICC win the 4A crown. Marist and Notre Dame both advanced to the semifinals, putting four of JCA’s nine regular season opponents in the final four of their class.
Jaworski had a pair of rings coming into the season, as he was a member of the 2000 Class 4A team as a sophomore and as a junior, he starred on the 2001 title team.
And now, in just his second year as head football coach, he adds another.
“I am the fifth football coach to win a state championship, here at JCA,” Jaworski added. “I am the fourth to win his state championship in his second year of coaching. Gordie Gillespie had been coaching here for a number of years before the IHSA State Tournament began in 1974.
“Gordie won our first championship in 1975, in his second year of coaching, in the playoffs. Gordie would go on to win five state championships. Jim Boyter and Bob Stone won their state titles in their second year of coaching. Saturday I became the fourth Joliet Catholic head coach to win a state title in his second year of coaching. Dan Sharp, would win six state football championships, at Joliet Catholic but it took Dan three years, to get his first.”