By Bobby Narang
Wheaton North High School celebrated its first State championship in 35 years in the same fashion they won games: As a team. (See photos at https://thevoice.us/high-school-football-class-7a-state-championship-wheaton-north-high-school-vs-st-rita)
Several Wheaton North players held the Class 7A State championship trophy up in the air, lifting the trophy over a crowd of players on the field in a mass celebration. The Falcons cruised to a 35-6 victory over St. Rita Saturday, Nov. 27 at Northern Illinois University to win the program’s first State championship since 1986.
The Falcons lacked a true superstar, next-level Division I five-star recruit such as St. Rita, which featured Ohio State recruit Kaleb Brown. The Falcons, 13-1, relied on a solid, well-balanced, offense and a superb defense.
Ironically, the Falcons ended the shortened Spring season earlier this year, in DeKalb, by defeating Batavia, 16-7, in the DuKane Conference championship game at Huskie Stadium.
“Playing here in DeKalb really helped us get a feel for the place,” Wheaton North head coach Mark Forcucci said. “Our pregame was the same. We knew what to expect.”
Forcucci added one last steady and strong performance in his high school career by completing 14 of 22 passes for 302 yards. He opened up the scoring by tossing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Seth Kortenhoeven in the second quarter, which led to a 21-0 lead at halftime. Forcucci added touchdown passes to Casey Morrison, and Luke Beedle sealed the victory with a pair of one-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. The Falcons’ defense held St. Rita’s prolific offensive attack to 72 yards rushing and 189 passing, and five-of-13 on third downs and stopping both of their fourth-down attempts. Brown finished with 34 yards rushing but caught eight passes for 128 yards. Meanwhile, Kortenhoeven lighted up the Crusaders’ defense with seven catches for 158 yards and a touchdown.
“This was a microcosm of the season in the fact that we were backed up a few times early on and instead of giving up a score, we forced two field goal (attempts) and fortunately, they didn’t convert on those,” Wheaton North head coach Joe Wardynski said. “Offensively, we started putting things together.”
• In Class 8A, Lockport took a 24-6 victory over Maine South in the final of eight championship games in two days at Huskie Stadium. The Porters, 13-1, captured their third State championship in program history and first since 2003, led by Ty Schultz, who rushed for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Just three years ago, George Czart was hired to lead the Lockport program, which finished 0-9 in 2018.
After tearing his ACL in his left knee just a little more than nine months ago, Schultz capped off a stunning season in stunning fashion.
“I learned not to take football for granted,” Schultz said. “When I was on the sidelines watching us win, I felt good about it and happy for our guys, but I was also jealous they were able to play and I was standing there.
“This is really special. I think all of us are going to remember this and cherish this for the rest of our lives. We’re all going to be looking back at it years from now.”
Lockport quarterback Hayden Timosciek finished 12 of 22 in passing for 116 yards.
“A lot of us were playing together back in seventh and eighth grade, so we kind of got a glimpse of what we could be,” Timosciek said.
• In two Friday games, Joliet Catholic Academy defeated Sacred Heart-Griffin of Springfield in Class 4A, 58-27, to capture its 15 State football championship, and Wilmington won its second State championship with a 24-7 victory against Nashville. Wilmington first won the State championship in 2014.