Batavia’s Nathan Whitwell carries the ball and stiff arms Downers Grove North’s Ethan Murphy during Saturday’s Class 7A quarterfinal football game.
Sean King/Shaw Local News Network
Seven area prep football teams survived the weekend to reach the IHSA state semifinals.
Congratulations to Batavia, Cary-Grove, Geneva, Montini, Naperville Central, St. Francis and York.
This week’s High Five honors the top performances of Week 12 with five newcomers. That’s right, no repeat honorees from the first 11 weeks.
5. Isaac Alexander, DB, Montini
The sixth-seeded Broncos (10-2) advanced to the Class 3A semifinals with Saturday’s 24-7 victory over Princeton. Next up is unbeaten Wilmington.
Holding the Tigers to just 7 points was no easy task, but Alexander and the defense got it done after the Broncos nursed a 14-7 halftime lead.
The junior had 13 tackles and broke up a pass. Alexander also came up with a key stop in the fourth quarter to help seal Montini’s second straight trip to the semis.
4. Sebby Hayes, QB, Naperville Central
You’ve got to feel good for Hayes, who’s overcome numerous injuries to lead the No. 7 Redhawks (11-1) into the Class 8A semifinals for the first time since their 2013 state title run. They advanced by beating previously unbeaten Lyons Twp. 24-7.
The senior completed 14 of 17 passes for 160 yards, with most of the damage coming in the first half as Naperville Central bolted to a 17-7 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Hayes guided a 14-play, 80-yard, eight-minute drive he finished with a 1-yard touchdown run to boost the lead to 24-7.
Hayes threw two long touchdown passes to DeShaun Williams, who had 6 catches for 128 yards.
Naperville Central plays host to No. 14 York (10-2) on Saturday.
3. Ryan Palmeri, LB, St. Francis
Quarterfinal shutouts aren’t easy, but the fourth-seeded Spartans (10-2) sure needed one in last weekend’s 10-0 Class 5A victory over Sycamore.
Everyone on the defense stepped up including Isaac Saldana, who had 9 tackles, but we’re giving the nod to Palmeri after the unit held Sycamore to under 30 rushing yards and blanked a team averaging about 40 points a game.
The senior had 10 tackles with 5 solos. He also had a tackle for loss and a sack.
Next up for St. Francis is a familiar foe — No. 3 Nazareth (10-2), which beat the Spartans in last season’s 5A semifinals. St. Francis downed the Roadrunners 39-36 in Week 9 this season.
2. Bruno Massel, QB, York
What a run for the Dukes, who are in the semifinals for a third straight season.
Massel has been a huge part of this year’s success, complemented by a bruising offensive line. In a 34-15 victory over Warren, the senior rushed for 176 yards on only 9 carries.
Massel scored on rushing touchdowns of 37, 66, 26 and 40 yards.
1. Nathan Whitwell, RB, Batavia
No. 4 Batavia (11-1) edged Downers Grove North 17-7 in the Class 7A quarterfinals behind their senior leader. Whitwell, who’s rushed for 1,595 yards and 27 touchdowns this season, put in a punishing performance as the Bulldogs ran 68 plays to the Trojans’ 39.
Whitwell carried the ball 40 times for 158 yards and a 1-yard touchdown run for the game’s opening score.
Batavia travels to Lincoln-Way Central in its third straight semifinal appearance.