After slaying one football giant in the playoffs, Mascoutah is set to take on another
Underdogs in the minds of even their most optimistic fans, the Mascoutah Indians were on the verge of one of the biggest wins in school history in the most unlikely of places.
Taking on the defending Class 5A state champion Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers on their home field, the Indians had the football inside the 2-yard line late in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 14.
Mascoutah coach Josh Lee had total confidence in senior running back Devin Wills, who scored with 13 seconds left to send the Indians to their first IHSA semifinal since 2006.
“The kids just believe and we are confident,’’ Lee said. “They did their job to the best of their ability and we just had a feeling there was no way we were not getting in there.’’
Now it’s on to another heavyweight.
Mascoutah next faces Rochester, a program which has won seven state titles since 2010 and is 144-31 in 14 years under coach Derek Leonard.
Rochester (11-1) will make its second trip to the metro east in three weeks when it takes on the host Indians (9-3) at 5 p.m. The Rockets, champs as recently as 2017, defeated Highland in a second round game two weeks ago.
Mascoutah also has won a state title, taking the Class 3A title, 40 years ago in 1979. Getting to Northern Illinois University in Dekalb for a second title game appearance would mean beating two of the state’s top programs back to back.
“Yeah, playing two of the greatest programs the state of Illinois has ever seen is a great challenge. We have such great respect for both programs,’’ Lee said. “However we have had a goal since last November. We have worked, trained, focused and done everything we can including prioritizing rest and recovery to reach that goal.
“I’m not worried about a let down. The competitive maturity of this team is incredible.’’
The Rockets feature a balanced offensive attack and a solid defensive unit which, despite giving up 35 points, made enough stops late in a 49-35 win over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in the quarterfinals.
“Two good football teams. Our kids made plays and we were fortunate to win the football game,’’ Leonard said. “We’re pretty much a senior-dominated team and the kids have worked hard and had a good season to get us this far.”
Senior quarterback Clay Bruno is one of the best in the state. The 6-foot Bruno has completed 167-of-255 for 3,022 yards with 39 touchdown passes against just five interceptions. Bruno has connected with sophomore Hank Beatty on 80 receptions for more than 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Junior running back Jacob DuRocher has rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 23 scores.
But, while the Rockets have great offensive weapons, they’re fueled by size and talent up front.
“Being a central Illinois guy I have seen them (Rochester) play a ton of time live, I think up front this is about as good as I’ve seen,’’ Lee said. “They have good athletes as usual , but they are really good up front.”
Mascoutah, which won its last three regular season games to earn its playoff spot, also has its share of playmakers on both sides of the football.
Linebacker Thomas Conroy headlines a balanced defensive unit. Senior quarterback Devon Ross doesn’t have all-state stats, but has been a big-play leader.
The key to the Indians’ offense is senior Devin Wills, who has rushed for 1,989 yards and 32 touchdowns.
“Watching him on film, you can tell he’s a special back,’’ Leonard said of Wills. “But Mascoutah overall, is a very good football team. The quarterback gets the job done and you can see they have speed at the wide outs who can hurt you.
“What concerns me most is the back (Wills).’’
Saturday’s winner will play either undefeated Rockford Boylan (12-0) and Chicago St. Rita (9-3) in the Class 5A state title game on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. at Huskie Stadium.
“We will have to be ready to go, but it just comes down to doing the things we have talked about for the last four years really,’’ Lee said. “Our kids have had Dekalb screen savers on their phones so they see it every day and we have had a Dekalb sign in our weight room since last November.
“We really have been preparing for this for years. ‘’
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
