C.J. Cesario was happily coaching the sophomore football team at Mount Carmel in his first year back in the Chicago area when he had a chance meeting with Chicago Christian Schools superintendent Mark Hamstra.
Four deep conversations later, he was Chicago Christian’s new football coach.
“I said no three times,” Cesario said of the job offers.
Hamstra might be feeling he’s won the lottery these days. On the strength of their 34-13 Class 2A quarterfinal victory over visiting Bismarck-Henning on Nov. 16, the Knights are 11-1 and in the semifinals for the first time. They meet Farmington (12-0) on the road on Saturday. Kickoff is 2 p.m.
The Knights bounced back from an early turnover and a 7-0 deficit to score the next 34 points, three of them on touchdown passes by Christian Flutman and another on his 68-yard dash to the end zone 54 seconds into the fourth quarter.
It was Flutman who created the turnover, an interception that set up the Blue Devils’ opening touchdown, but he didn’t get flustered. He completed his next 10 passes, three for touchdowns, two to Eddie Van Dellen.
“We knew coming in we were a more hard-working team,” Flutman said. “There’s going to be (setbacks) like that, but we can’t stop. We gave them motivation, but we knew if we scored a couple more touchdowns, we’d get back on track.”
The Knights’ track was via Kenny Jager’s legs on the ground and Flutman’s arm in the air. Jager ran 19 times for 140 yards. Flutman finished 10 of 13 for 149 yards, five of the passes for at least 22 yards each.
“He just lacked confidence,” Cesario said of Flutman in the offseason.
He has it to the brim now, and his teammates believe in him, in Cesario’s system and in the idea they’re supposed to be winning.
“We came together early in the season,” Flutman said. “Like, if you don’t think we can go to state, just get out.”
A fleet defensive back, he also broke up a number of passes. Most of the starters play both ways on the Knights, which has 35 on the roster, about a quarter of the male student body.
“Playing defense, I get more motivated,” Flutman said. “It makes me a better athlete. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Flutman hit Jared Hall with Christian’s first touchdown pass, a 5-yarder, then Van Dellen with 26- and 27-yard strikes.
“Our QB has great leadership and just picked us up,” said Van Dellen, who also intercepted a pass. “I look up to him a lot. We’ve played together for four years now, and with Caden (Boersma) going down, I had to pick it up.”
The Knights suffered another injury in the quarterfinal. Lineman Chase Sytsma aggravated an ankle injury and had to leave the game.