Maine South grinds out a crown in 8A

Maine South's Zach Glasebrook (82) and Corby Ryan (32) take down Hinsdale Central's Alex Kirk (5).
(Steve Johnston/The Doings)

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CHAMPAIGN — Maine South got here in large part on the arm of quarterback Charlie Goro. But in the finale it was the legs of Goro, Matt Perez and Joey Orlando that were the difference.

Goro and Perez combined for 283 yards on the ground and four touchdowns as the top-rated Hawks rolled past Hinsdale Central in the Class 8A championship Saturday night at Memorial Stadium to win their first title since 2000.

It was the first championship for Maine South coach Dave Inserra after three seconds.

“We changed things up a bit,” Inserra said. “We took the kids to Illinois State where we won our two titles [1995, 2000]. It comes down to the boys making plays. [Offensive coordinator] Charlie Bliss called a great game on offense.”

“People say our system makes the quarterback,” Bliss said. “We put it on Charlie tonight. It was all about him.”

Goro, the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year, had 25 carries for 164 yards rushing and was 9-for-14 throwing for 132 yards.

“This is unbelievable, what a way to go out,” Goro said. “To tell you the truth, [Bliss] and I thought that I could throw for 400 yards tonight. I thought I was going to throw 50 passes. I’ve worked eight years for this. It’s a dream come true.””

The teams combined for 839 yards of offense.

Maine South (14-0) had a 21-7 lead in the third quarter and Hinsdale was driving when a fumble bounced into the hands of versatile Joey Orlando who sprinted 78 yards for a touchdown.

“That play was a momentum changer,” Hinsdale Central coach Mike DiMatteo said. “I would have thrown every red flag I could find [if I had that option]. I would have thrown a red lipstick.

“I thought that we defended the quite well. The problem was that the anchor of a 4x200 state relay in their quarterback. Charlie Goro on the edge was the difference.”

“We practice that with a drill weekly,” Orlando said. “The coaches bounce the ball and we scoop it and go. Once I caught it, I didn’t want to look back, I was just going to keep going.”

The Red Devils (11-3) answered with quarterback John Whitelaw scoring on a three-yard run after he scrambled for 53. Maine South answered with a 22-yard scoring pass from Goro to John Alviti.

Whitelaw (15 carries, 139 yards rushing, 17-for-29, 262 yards passing) threw a 30-yard scoring pass to Alex Kirk nine catches, 140 yards). A one-yard run by Perez (18 carries, 119 yards) capped the scoring.

With 3:57 to play in the first quarter, Perez burst up the middle for a 41-yard touchdown to cap a four-play, 85-yard drive. The Red Devils came right back with a 64-yard drive, scoring on a 10-yard pass from Whitelaw to Kirk on the first play of the second quarter. A scramble for a first down by Whitelaw on a fourth-and-nine kept the drive alive.

The Hawks came right back with an eight-play, 71-yard drive capped by a seven-yard Perez run. It looked like Hinsdale would answer, but Mick Culligan was caught by Sam Chwarzynski from behind as he was streaking down the field with a 58-yard reception from Whitelaw.

Then, on fourth down, Ronnie Muck made a stop that gave the ball back to Maine South.

After a punt, Muck intercepted a pass and returned it 37 yards to the Red Devils’ 37. On the first play Goro scampered 37 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.

Hinsdale drove deep again in the last minute, but the Hawks defense stiffened and a fourth-down pass from inside the 10 fell incomplete in the end zone.