State title-game records - all on offense - continue to fall in Illinois.
Nebraska-bound Jordan Westerkamp had
five touchdowns and 331 receiving
yards in Montini's state-title win.
File photo by John Rowland
State-title game records tumbled on both the winning and losing sides today as
Montini (Lombard, Ill.) outscored Joliet Catholic Academy (Joliet, Ill.), 70-45, to win its third consecutive Class 5A state championship.
The game featured a staggering 1,634 yards and one team did it via the run and the other the pass.
The champs were led by the record-setting passing duo of quarterback
John Rhode to
Jordan Westerkamp.
According to several sources, the 6-foot-1 Westerkamp, who has committed to the University of Nebraska, amassed 331 receiving yards and scored five touchdowns. Rhode passed for a state title-game record 587 yards and seven touchdowns.
Montini also got big receiving games from
Joseph Borsellino (10 catches, 142 yards) and
Anthony Taylor (7, 113).
Joliet Catholic, which held a 31-28 lead at halftime, was paced by
Ty Isaac, who is rated as the No. 1 junior running back in the nation by CBS/MaxPreps recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.
The powerful 6-3, 220-pounder was particularly dominant in the first half and finished with state title-game rushing records of 515 yards and six touchdowns. He had 376 yards by halftime which was already a state title-game mark.
Isaac, who had first-half touchdown runs of 66, 63, 56 and 71 yards, missed on the state overall rushing mark for a game of 593 yards set in 1996 by DeAndre Hooper, of Austin.
According to several sources, the game broke state title-game for total
points, Montini's winning points, total yards, Montini's passing yards and Joliet's rushing yards, both 587.
Perhaps more amazing than all these offensive totals were they came on the heels of two record-breaking games on Friday, including an almost identical 42-39 4A win for
Rochester (Ill.) over Richmond-Burton (Richmond, Ill.).
In that game winning team Rochester threw for more than 500 yards and the losing team rushed for more than 500. And in the Class 1A title game, a 41-27 win for
Dakota (Ill.) over Tuscola, Jake Apple rushed for a class title-game record 373 yards.
See story.
