Montini Catholic quarterback Israel Abrams reacts after winning the Class 3A State football championship on Friday.
Scott Anderson/Shaw Local News Network
Between the cold weather, the many blowouts and the late starts, last weekend wasn’t exactly ideal for IHSA football fans.
That being said, the area’s four finalists gave everything they had in hopes of winning a state title in Normal. Congratulations to Montini on its seventh championship, and congrats to Batavia, Geneva and York on tremendous seasons.
This week’s High Five honors the area’s top performances from championship weekend.
5. Bruno Massel, QB, York
When running back Jimmy Conners left Saturday’s game with an injury, Massel took the bulk of the offensive load on his shoulders.
Loyola won its third straight Class 8A title with a 35-14 victory over the Dukes (11-3), but Massel never let up. The senior didn’t have the best game throwing the ball, completing 6 of 18 passes for 81 yards, but he stepped up in the ground game.
Massel led his team with 17 carries for 141 yards and a 4-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 14-14 in the second quarter.
4. Talyn Taylor, WR, Geneva
I’ve said it for years … the best part about championship weekend is watching the best players in the state shine on the biggest stage.
Taylor, a Georgia commit, and the Vikings (12-2) had their hands full in a 48-28 loss to East St. Louis in the 6A final. Taylor helped keep his team close by snaring 8 catches for 116 yards and a 7-yard touchdown.
Taylor also had 129 yards on kick returns.
3. Brett Berggren, WR, Batavia
Another great thing about championship weekend is seeing breakout performances from emerging players.
Berggren, a junior, sent heads spinning in Mt. Carmel’s secondary during the Caravan’s 55-34 victory over the Bulldogs in the 7A title game. Berggren had 8 catches for 191 yards and touchdowns of 26, 45 and 49 yards.
2. Luke Jezyk, OL, Montini
The less you hear about centers, the better. It means they’re quietly doing their job.
But let’s give a shout out to Jezyk, the Broncos’ senior center. He helped power Montini (12-2) to 320 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in Friday’s 49-8 victory over Monticello in the 3A final.
Surprisingly, Jezyk played with a broken hand throughout the playoffs. The line play — junior right tackle Angelo DeSensi also played great Friday — didn’t stagger a bit despite the injury at the heart of the unit.
1. Izzy Abrams, QB, Montini
It’s no coincidence the Broncos won their last 10 games. The surge accompanied Abrams’ rise behind center.
The sophomore was phenomenal in the second half of the season, especially in the playoffs. Abrams capped the season by accounting for 4 touchdowns against Monticello.
Abrams completed 10 of 16 passes for 225 yards and touchdowns of 53, 49 and 70 yards. He also had 5 carries for 59 yards and a 3-yard score.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
