By Steve Spiewak
MaxPreps.com
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Wheaton-Warrenville South exorcised its playoff demons on Saturday night, upending Mount Carmel 44-21 in a surprisingly one-sided affair for the Class 8A state championship.
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The Tigers played a near flawless game on both sides of the ball, opening up a 31-7 halftime lead against a Mount Carmel Caravan team who many believed was the best in the state.
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Dan Dierking led the way with two rushing touchdowns for the Tigers. But the real story was quarterback Michael Highland. Highland, who missed last week's semifinal victory over York after undergoing throat surgery, came ready to play, tossing two key touchdown passes in his return.
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Jim O'Brien, Dierking's more than capable backup for much of the season, erupted for a 96-yard kick off return to complement his 65 yard touchdown run.ÿ
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Although Mount Carmel scored first, Wheaton-Warrenville South scored often. A one-yard scoring run by Dierking toward the end of the third quarter solidified the score 44-15 in favor of the Tigers.
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Coach Ron Muhitch's squad played a special game on Saturday, and indeed, were a special team.ÿ
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"I've been doing this for 22 years, and I think that's the best team I've coached," Muhitch told the Chicago Sun-Times.
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St. Rita 35, Lake Zurich 21
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Coach Todd Kuska's Mustangs capped a brilliant 13-1 campaign with a victory over the Lake Zurich Bears, securing the Class 7A title.
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Quarterback Pete Balsam and running back Darieon Hood paced the Mustangs, while the defense, anchored by the defensive end duo of Matt Conrath and Darius Fleming, held on to a lead that shrank to 28-21 in the fourth quarter.
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The victory marked St. Rita's first state title since 1978.
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"They're big, they're fast, they're tough," Lake Zurich's Kyle Skarb told the Chicago Tribune. "They're a great team. They deserve it."
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Normal 30, Batavia 20
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In Class 6A, the Normal Ironmen held off the Batavia Bulldogs, avenging a loss in last year's championship game to Morris, and claiming this year's title.
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Batavia, who finished the year 12-2, lost quarterback Alex Schroeder early in the game when he went down with a shoulder injury, as Normal jumped out to a 21-7 lead before halftime.
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Omar Clayton led the way for Normal, throwing for over 250 yards and two touchdowns, while also pounding one in on the ground.
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Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 35, Marian Central Catholic 21
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Sacred Heart Griffin won its second-consecutive Class 5A state championship, defeating Marian Central Catholic 35-21 on Saturday.ÿ
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Marian Central scored a touchdown late in the first half, cutting the deficit to 14-7.ÿ Then, on the opening possession of the second half, quarterback Jon Budmayr was intercepted, leading to another Sacred Heart-Griffin touchdown. The lead would prove insurmountable.
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Marian Central Catholic took solace in the fact that it had one of the better seasons in school history.
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''It was still a fantastic season,'' Iowa-bound Bryan Bulaga told the Chicago Sun-Times. ''We hadn't been to state since 1989, and I was born then. We need to take pride in that and be back here again next year.''
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Class 4A-1A results
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4A: Addison (Driscoll) 35 Breese Mater Dei 0
3A: Plano 47, St. Joseph-Ogden 42
2A: Maroa-Forsyth 43, Westville 22
1A: Tuscola 35, Aledo 20