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Football: WW South continues run, takes down St Rita
Updated: November 19, 2011 9:58PM
Wheaton Warrenville South is down to its third-string quarterback, but the Tigers are far from out.
The Tigers kept alive their drive for a third consecutive state title thanks to another big game by Dan Vitale and the defense, beating St. Rita 21-14 Saturday night in a Class 7A semifinal in Chicago.
WW South (10-3), which has won nine in a row after a 1-3 start, will play 2010 Class 6A winner Boylan (13-0) in a rare title-game matchup of defending state champs next Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
“We’re just shocking a lot of people,” said Vitale, who ran for three touchdowns in the game’s first 15 minutes as the Tigers opened a 21-0 lead. “We always knew we had it in ourselves. A lot of other people didn’t.”
That was especially true as quarterbacks Thaddeus Armstrong and Ryan Graham battled health issues most of the year. Graham missed Saturday’s game with a knee injury. Armstrong, who didn’t play last week because of a concussion, missed the second half against St. Rita with what WW South coach Ron Muhitch said was believed to be another concussion.
That opened the door for sophomore Jordan Davis, who spent most of the last two quarters handing off to Vitale. But his only pass attempt was a big one: a 21-yard completion to Corey Davis for a first down in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter that kept the ball away from St. Rita (10-3).
“Jordan Davis did a great job tonight,” said Vitale, a Northwestern recruit who finished with 29 carries for 122 yards. “It’s a big step from sophomore to varsity football. He didn’t panic.”
It helped that he had a lead, courtesy of the Tigers taking advantage of a gusting south wind in the first quarter. After holding the Mustangs to a three-and-out and forcing a short punt, WW South scored on Vitale’s one-yard run with 6:39 left. Zach Kyllonen then picked off St. Rita quarterback Scott Thomas and and two plays later, Vitale scored again from four yards out with 5:05 left in the quarter.
Vitale’s third score, a three-yard run set up by his own 43-yard carry to the St. Rita four-yard line, made it 21-0 with 9:58 left in the second quarter. That proved to be just enough offense for the Tigers.
St. Rita got a five-yard touchdown pass from Thomas (16 of 28, 108 yards, one interception) to Kenny Golladay 10.2 seconds before halftime and a seven-yard scoring strike from Thomas to Golladay with 4:38 to play in the game.
“These kids have battled through a lot,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said. “Not a lot of people had a lot of faith for us to get to this point. We got a good run out of it.”
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