St. Laurence’s surprise run to the Class 4A state finals last season was one of the area’s most compelling stories. But there will be no encore this year.
The Vikings fell to host DePaul Prep 26-14 on Nov. 16 in a Class 4A quarterfinal. The Rams (9-3) advance to the state semifinals against Coal City, while St. Laurence finishes 8-4.
“This isn’t where we wanted to end up,” St. Laurence coach Adam Nissen said. “We wanted to get back there (to the state finals) and finish it.
“But there is a life lesson in that sometimes, you’re not the better team. We have to keep our eyes forward and keep looking for our best. We have to pick ourselves up and move forward.”
The loss stung even more because the Vikings let a 14-0 halftime lead slip away.
“(DePaul Prep) made some adjustments in the second half,” Nissen said. “We had opportunities to make plays, and we didn’t.
“We couldn’t get things going offensively. They took some shots downfield vertically, and they made plays when they needed to.”
St. Laurence struck first with 4:02 remaining in the first quarter when quarterback Chase Kwiatkowski connected with Kyle Richardson for a 10-yard touchdown, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
An interception by linebacker Jace Chamberlain late in the second quarter stopped a DePaul drive and set up a 15-yard touchdown run by running back Harley Rizzs (16 carries, 55 yards) with 1:16 left in the half.
Those would be the only offensive highlights for St. Laurence, which finished with 106 rushing yards and just 16 passing yards.
Defensively, the Vikings were led by Chamberlain, who had nine tackles and an interception; Brendan Carroll, who had 14 tackles; and Mikhail Riley, who had five tackles and broke up two passes.
“Jace is a high-motor, energy guy,” Nissen said. “He’s been a two-year starter for us and a nonstop, see-ball, get-ball guy. He played all the line techniques for us. He’s a very solid young man and got the defense emotionally and mentally ready for where we needed to be all year.
“Brendan was all over the field making plays. He had a really good year. He stepped into a starting role and diagnosed plays quickly, beating the ball carrier to where he wanted to go. He’s a warrior, man. He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve coached.”