This 12-1 season provided plenty of thrills

They may have been talking about a state championship up at Antioch High School. But the rest of the world never gave it a thought.

Antioch's football team was coming off a losing campaign the year before.

Sure, the schedule-maker was very kind to the Sequoits at the start of the season. Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Round Lake and Mundelein combined to go 2-34 this season.

While the unbeaten Sequoits gained confidence this fall, the schedule toughened. Dramatic wins became the norm. The battle of unbeatens -- Grant and Antioch -- went the Sequoits' way 28-14.

Antioch proved it could win a big road game when it edged Vernon Hills 38-35 in week 8. The Sequoits rallied from 21 points down in that one.

It didn't look like anything could top the team's 35-34 overtime win over Highland Park in Week 2 of the playoffs.

But the Sequoits did just that with the "game of the year" at Glenbard South in the state quarterfinals. A highlight DVD of that 28-27 overtime win would sell for plenty on E-Bay.

Running back Cameron White became the most exciting football player in Lake County with 35 touchdowns.

Steve "Baby Bull" Lorenzini picked up where he left off last year with big runs up the middle.

Quarterback Matt Romani also found time to hand the ball off to two other exciting playmakers: Vinnie Holm and DeVonte Miller.

All those productive backs ran behind a very stout offensive line, which was featured by Jake Anderson, Louis Schultz, Craig Tanner, Brandon Ginter and Mark Ano.

And, before all was said and done, the underappreciated defense began to produce a few stars like Tom Gerstner, Travis Kwielford, Tyler Woolard, Kevin Knutson, Alex Pechauer and defensive end Alec Paramski.

"We were a family," Paramski said. "We all played together. Our goal was to make to the playoffs. On offense, we found great runners. On defense, we just never quit."

Other players standing out on defense included Sam Pimpo, Rolando Ortiz, CJ Kanya and Zach Morrison.

When it was clear Lemont had Saturday night's Class 6A state semifinal well in hand, there was Gerstner still delivering crisp tackles from his linebacker spot in the final minutes.

"We wanted to be state champions," said Gerstner, following the 38-14 loss to the 13-0 Indians. "We gave it all we had. We were more than a one-man team. We all had great years."

When coach Brian Glashagel talked to his players for the last time on Lemont's home field, he thanked them for this glorious season. The team headed back to Antioch on Saturday night for one more ceremonial walk on the home field that helped make them famous.

And then Glashagel wanted to get home and let his emotions spill out following this miraculous campaign in which the Antioch Sequoits football team fell one game short of a berth in the IHSA state championships.