For Hillcrest, it's a near-miss

Hillcrest coach Ernie Sutton had a tough time sleeping after Saturday's 33-20 loss to Montini.

The Hawks had a pair of touchdowns called back because of penalties and fumbled two punt returns that resulted in Montini touchdowns.

Had Hillcrest avoided those mistakes, the Hawks would likely have remained alive in the Class 5A playoffs.

"A rough one to take" Sutton said. "We were down 26-8 and cut it to 26-20 and they were punting to us. We were so close. We didn't take advantage of some of our opportunities. Montini's coach said to me after the game that we outplayed them. That's all fine and good but we didn't win the game. Unfortunately, we made a couple of mistakes that cost us the football game."

While Sutton wasn't blaming the officials for calls that negated a pair of Hawks touchdowns, he did wonder why those flags seemingly never benefit his team.

"Those questionable calls never go our way," Sutton said. "But those calls definitely changed the momentum of the game. If those touchdowns count, we're talking about an entirely different game. A completely different picture. But we were still right there at the end. That's what hurts. Our kids played their hearts out. I'm not disappointed in them at all."

The good news for the Hawks is that they should welcome back a bevy of talent next season. Quarterback/defensive back Herb Offord will be regarded as one of the most talented players in the state in 2009. Mike Young, Jamison Wilson, Sam Russell, Pierre Williams, Steve Rice, Jordan Bailey and Ryan King are impact players who bring a wealth of experience and skill.

"We have a very good nucleus coming back," Sutton said. "We have a few guys who have Division I potential. We have a bunch of playmakers who should only get better. I'm very optimistic."

Hillcrest opens the season with Thornton and Homewood-Flossmoor. The fact that the Hawks opened their 2008 schedule with a loss to the Wildcats might be something to carry into offseason workouts.

"Having the opportunity to play Thornton and Homewood-Flossmoor should be plenty of motivation," Sutton said. "The guys have to hit the weight room and get stronger. That is going to be the key. They can't be satisfied with their performance this season. They know they can get better."

The top priority for the Hawks remains a state championship. Sutton was confident this year's team had a genuine shot to go all the way, but an inconsistent offense was as much to blame for the Hawks' 6-5 mark as some bad bounces.

"We had some tough losses," said Sutton, whose Hawks dropped a two-point contest to Oak Forest and six-pointer to Eisenhower. "Our offense struggled some but got better at the end of the season. I'm proud of this team. When the kids had their backs up against the wall, they responded. That's the makings of a championship team. As a coach, I have to figure out how to get us past this point (second round) of the season. It's a big step for the program. Sooner rather than later, we hope to take that step for the Hillcrest community."

Pat Disabato can be reached at pdisabato@southtownstar.com or (708) 802-8837.