Crushed: Devils didn't expect go out this way

Warren High School quarterback Zach Shaw is sandwiched by Schaumburg's Alex Monzon (left) and Nick Novak during Saturday's state playoff game.
(Joel Lerner/Staff Photographer)

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Highlights are difficult to find in a 55-21 loss.

Yet Warren High School's Zach Shaw and Ryan Maguire managed to rev up the visiting crowd in the first quarter of Saturday's IHSA Class 8A setback to Schaumburg.

Warren trailed 14-0 when Shaw rolled out to his left and eluded the Saxon pass rush. He then threw across his body and delivered a 44-yard touchdown pass to Maguire.

"It wasn't a designed play," Maguire related. "I saw Zach running so I went vertical."

Shaw put the ball right in Maguire's hands. Placekicker Anthony Portanova tacked on the PAT to cut the deficit to 14-7.

But any hope of a Warren victory soon evaporated. The Warren faithful watched in horror as Saxon quarterback Anthony Iannotti put on a clinic in how to run the spread offense.

Iannotti completed 9 of 13 passes for 170 yards with 1 TD. He ran the ball 15 times for 189 yards and 3 touchdowns (63, 21 and 15 yards). He even caught a 25-yard TD pass when brother Mark Iannotti whipped the back end of double pass across the field to the waiting arms of Anthony Iannotti.

"We watched film, and we saw some tendencies (of Warren's defense) that we could take advantage of," Iannotti said.

At halftime, the Blue Devils (9-2) trailed 34-7.

"It was not the way we wanted it to go," Maguire said. "We weren't expecting a lot of passes in these conditions (rain and wind) and we weren't ready for it."

Maguire wrapped up his high school career with 5 catches for 114 yards. He took a little comfort in the Blue Devils' aggressive approach in the second half.

"We tried to get rolling and get the momentum back," Maguire said. "Every time we did (make a run), something would change the momentum."

The Devils did pull to within 41-21 late in the third quarter. But a muffed punt set up Schaumburg on the 15-yard line. Saxon halfback Shepard Little (15-226, 3 TDs) sealed the outcome with a 15-yard TD scamper.

Schaumburg (7-4) will host Bartlett (11-0) in a quarterfinal Saturday at 5 p.m.

Warren finished the contest with a respectable 363 yards of total offense. The rushing leaders were Ryan DeRose (17-70), Tom Lindal (6-36, TD) and Leonard Brady (3-44). Fullback Tyreese Woodard added a 2-yard TD run on his only carry.

Halfback Mike Liao gained 28 yards on 3 carries. But injuries to his left ankle and left arm forced him to watch from the sidelines for the final three quarters.

Shaw completed 10 of 28 passes for 178 yards with 3 interceptions.

The Blue Devils simply had no answer for Iannotti and Little. The Saxons (7-4) finished the battle with 629 total yards.

Warren did manage to recover 3 fumbles. Woodard stripped the ball from Iannotti on the first series of the game. In the third quarter, Chet Michna alertly recovered a muffed punt on the Saxon 19 to set up Warren's second touchdown.

In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Adam Tussing recovered a fumble by Schaumburg reserve John Lombardo.