One for the record books

CHAMPAIGN -- Aurora Christian and Bloomington Central Catholic uncorked a classic on Friday, combining to set or tie 13 individual and team Class 4A championship game records.

Which is no small feat, considering the Class 4A title game has been played since 1974.

Here's a rundown of the records set (with old record in parentheses):

• Total offense, both teams -- 892 yards (889)

• Most passes attempted, both teams -- 77 (69)

• Most passes completed, Aurora Christian -- 27 (25)

• Most passes completed, both teams -- 43 (34; new mark also ties overall IHSA title game record)

• Most yards passing, Aurora Christian -- 365 (321)

• Most yards passing, both teams -- 684 (541)

• Most pass attempts -- Aurora Christian's Jordan Roberts, 55 (49)

• Most pass completions -- Roberts, 27 (25)

• Most pass yards in a game -- Roberts, 365 (305)

• Most receptions in a game -- Aurora Christian's David Zielke, 10 (8)

• Most touchdowns passing, Aurora Christian -- 4, tied with Sacred Heart Griffin

• Most passing touchdowns in a game -- Roberts, 4 with three others

• Most receiving touchdowns in a game -- Aurora Christian's Zielke and Matt Morse, 2, tied with six others

Victory would have been sweeter, but this wasn't all bad.

Aurora Christian football players, prohibited from drinking pop and eating chocolate by coach Don Beebe during the season, were greeted by a sweet treat when they returned to the Urbana Holiday Inn following Friday's 37-28 loss to Bloomington Central Catholic in the Class 4A title game.

The postgame pizza party also featured large brownies covered with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

After winning seven straight state titles, Driscoll has the state championship trip down pat. The Highlanders had a large block of rooms reserved at the Urbana Holiday Inn. Driscoll Athletic Director Bob Carlson offered to transfer the reservations to Aurora Christian after the Eagles ended Driscoll's run in the quarterfinals. RB/LB Lewis Gaddis, one of three players joining Beebe in the postgame press conference in the press box, took advantage of the trip to grab a couple Cokes from the refrigerator bearing part of the media's hospitality spread. He reportedly downed them upon reaching the locker room.

Gaddis got his first interception of the season late in the first quarter at the AC 8. He grabbed the option pass thrown by running back Taylor Jewett that was tipped at the line by the Eagles' Andru Ubert.

"At practice this whole week, I was thinking, 'I gotta get one,'" Gaddis said. "It's the last game and I haven't got one yet. I wasn't even looking (at Jewett), I was looking up and I saw some brown stuff, looked over and caught it. It was confusing, but I realized I got the ball. I just looked over and the ball was there."

Tad Hemming, who played wide receiver for Geneva's 8-1 team in 1974, bought eight tickets for his family. The Hemmings were in Champaign to root on Trey Hemming, the Vikings' starting defensive end.

Tad wore No. 45. Trey wears No. 47.

Couldn't he convince his son to follow tradition and take his number?

"He didn't want any of that," Tad said, laughing.

Tad's sister, Carla, is married to former Oswego head football coach Karl Hoinkes.

East St. Louis not only wiped out Geneva 33-14 Saturday in the Class 7A title game, the Flyers obliterated the records for most penalties and most yards penalized in a title game in any class.

Coach Darren Sunkett's team was whistled 19 times for 166 yards.

"It was definitely frustrating but something our kids had to fight through," said Sunkett. "We just told the kids to keep playing, that sooner or later they would fall our way. ... It's not new to us. The kids hung in there and fought."

Lake Zurich help both Class 7A marks with eight penalties for 57 yards in 2007 when it played Wheaton Warrenville South.

Previous records in all classes were held by: Geneseo with 14 penalties in 1978 and Bloomington Central Catholic with 128 yards (on 13 penalties) in 1982.

Geneva was penalized eight times for 37 yards, three times getting called for illegal substitution.

"We were extremely surprised at how loud it was," Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said of his team's communication problems. "We brought a good crowd and they were really loud. East St. Louis brought a good crowd and was loud, too.

"It was a nice venue. I'd maybe get some cards (to signal plays) next time. Hopefully, I'll have a next time."

Wicinski wasn't surprised the Flyers loaded "the box" by stacking eight and nine defenders close to the line of scrimmage to try to stop the Viking running game.

"We kind of anticipated that," he said, "but we weren't able to get the ball out to the perimeter. We tried some tosses. They're just fast. They took advantage of that, too.

"More power to them. They came in and knocked heads with us and did a nice job of stopping our offense. Kudos to them."

Viking running back Michael Ratay ran 26 times for 91 yards with a long run of 15 late in the third quarter. It was his lone running play of 10 or more yards. Prep Football Notebook