Four years ago, Tommy Thies was the ball boy for the Fenwick football team, which captured the school’s first state championship in the sport with a defeat of Kankakee in the IHSA Class 5A title game.
Following the Friars’ dramatic 28-27 overtime victory at Nazareth Academy in a Class 6A semifinal, Nov. 22, Thies, a senior, has fulfilled his vision of one day leading his team Downstate.
“It’s a dream come true. It’s the greatest thing I could’ve ever asked for,” Thies, a Miami (Ohio) commit, said after the game. “I’ve been coming to (Fenwick) games since birth, so I can’t wait, I’m ready.”
Thies and his teammates will need to be ready this week as the Friars have perhaps the most daunting opponent they’ve faced this year: East St. Louis, holder of 11 state championships – third all-time in Illinois, behind Mount Carmel (16) and Joliet Catholic (15). Fenwick and East St. Louis meet in the 6A title game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. The game will be televised locally on Channel 26 (The U).
East St. Louis (10-3)
How the Flyers got here: defeated Plainfield East 63-7; defeated Chatham Glenwood 53-14; defeated Simeon 49-0; defeated St. Laurence 50-7.
All of East St. Louis’s losses came against top out-of-state programs; the Flyers lost to Bergen Catholic (NJ) 22-21, to Bishop Gorman (NV) 35-10, and to IMG Academy (FL) 38-14. But the Flyers have outscored their in-state opponents by a whopping 509-47 margin.
East St. Louis has a powerful running game that wears down opponents. Junior Myson Johnson-Cook, who is drawing interest from several major colleges, has run for 1,107 yards and 14 touchdowns – on just 99 carries – this season. He shares the rushing load with two classmates: Ahmad Coleman (689 yds, 14 TD on 64 carries) and Amir Tillman (587 yds, 9 TD on 61 carries).
East St. Louis has not had to throw it often. But the Flyers have been very effective when they do. Junior Reece Shanklin has completed 92 of 139 passes for 1,750 yards and 25 touchdowns – and just two interceptions. Shanklin’s main target is senior Kortez Rupert, who has 29 receptions for 668 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Defensively, East St. Louis has allowed 142 points in 12 games played, not including a forfeit victory. Junior defensive back Jabari Lofton has a team-high 66 tackles. Junior lineman James Bryant leads the Flyers in tackles for loss with 20, and junior lineman Caleb Brown has a team-high eight sacks and 14 TFL.
Fenwick (10-3)
How the Friars got here: defeated Kennedy 42-6; defeated Rolling Meadows 45-7; defeated Burlington Central 49-21; defeated Nazareth 28-27 (OT).
Like East St. Louis, Fenwick’s three losses are deceiving. The Friars lost close games to a pair of undefeated teams still playing: 31-29 at Montini Catholic (4A) in Week 4, and 35-28 at Mount Carmel (8A) in Week 8. Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia believes those outcomes gave his team confidence.
“That was really big for our kids. They now know they can compete with anyone,” Battaglia said during a media call with reporters on Monday. “I feel a lot of similarities coming this week.”
Offensively, Fenwick is led by senior quarterback Jamen Williams, who has completed 178 of his 266 passes for 2,484 yards and 26 touchdowns, and junior running back Jake Thies, Tommy’s younger brother who has run for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns. Seniors Will Tomczak (45 rec, 561 yds, 5 TD) and Raphiel Stewart (33 rec, 700 yds, 7 TD) lead a deep receiving corps.
The Friars’ defense is led by senior lineman Michael Murphy (team-leading 116 tackles, 11 TFL, 3 INT), senior cornerback Aiden Williams (97 tackles, 12 TFL), Tommy Thies (90 tackles, 8 TFL), Jake Thies (59 tackles, 6 TFL, 4 INT), senior lineman Zikomo Mbewe (44 tackles, 8 TFL, five sacks), and junior cornerback Josh Morgan (32 tackles, 2 INT).
Senior kicker/punter Noah Sur, a Northwestern University commit, is one of Illinois’s best at his position. He has made 8-of-11 field goals and 58-of-60 extra points and has punted 24 times for a 40-yard average; his longest is 58 yards.
TATE’S TAKE
“(East St. Louis) is a great program that’s been very successful,” Battaglia said. “We appreciate the opportunity to compete against a program like this. We know they have a lot of talent…we know we have a big challenge in front of us.”
Fenwick will need to be at its absolute best in order to have any chance of pulling off what would be a monumental upset. The Friars, while showing respect for the Flyers, cannot be awed or intimidated by them. They need to make them feel uncomfortable, something they have not experienced often this year.
Then, Fenwick must take care of the ball. East St. Louis already has a strong offense, but providing short fields to them spells doom. On defense, the Friars need to bring the physicality and force an early turnover or two to swing momentum. The Flyers, as dominant as they are, are prone to taking a large amount of penalties and committing multiple turnovers in big games.
Virtually everyone will pick East St. Louis, and for good reason. My head also says the Flyers should roll. However, I like Fenwick’s mindset this week. While the Friars know they’re the underdogs, they also believe, and that is half the battle.
“With high school kids, that’s one of the biggest things. When you play a team like East St. Louis, a lot of teams lose before they get on the bus,” Battaglia said.
Usually I’m logical when I make a pick. But there’s something special about this Fenwick team that tells me to go with my heart instead. Therefore, I am picking the Friars.