Crystal Lake Central rolls to playoff football win

CHICAGO - When you get to the state playoffs, big time players make big time plays in big time moments.

Enter Crystal Lake Central's Jason Penza.

The sophomore got things going right out of the gate for the Tigers in their Class 6A first-round playoff game with Amundsen, bringing back the opening kickoff 95 yards en route to helping his squad take down the host and fifth-seeded Vikings 55-28 Saturday afternoon at Winnemac Stadium in Chicago.

From there, it was all Tigers (7-3) as they scored on each of their seven possessions of the first half.

"It set the tone and the rest of the game," Crystal Lake Central quarterback Colton Madura said. "We really wanted to capitalize on every opportunity we had.

"In our conference, we'd been starting slow and trying to catch up and by scoring first in this game, that helped reverse that and really set the tone."

It was a half of huge plays for the Tigers, as after the opening kickoff, plays of 30 or more yards helped lead to their next 14 points — a 30-yard pass from Madura to Corey Zavorski set up a Madura six-yard score and a 36-yard pass from Madura to Penza accounted for the third score of the first quarter.

The Vikings, however, got things started on their end after the 36-yard score when Elijah Hernandez connected with his favorite target Adam Muench on a 79-yard touchdown pass.

A Madura one-yard sneak at the first quarter buzzer gave the visitors a 28-7 lead after one period.

The win marked Crystal Lake Central's first playoff since the 2012 season, a year the Tigers made it to the state quarterfinals, where they'd fall to Cary-Grove 7-0.

"It feels good to win and next week we have a home game, so that will be great," Crystal Lake Central coach Jon McLaughlin said. "I think in the conference we play in, our conference prepares us for these type of playoff games.

"The level of competition, the level of intensity we have to play with every week, that carries over to the playoffs, where everyone is battletested."

Crystal Lake Central's Colton Madura turns the run inside.

Running back Brent Blitek (85 rushing yards) got in on the scoring action in the second quarter, when he scored on a 20-yard rush, two-yard run, as well as a 58-yard screen pass from Madura (221 passing yards, 76 rushing yards).

Madura, who finished with five total touchdowns, added his fifth score on a 33-yard touchdown pass to George Dimopoulos where the receiver was behind the cornerback and just out-jumped him for the ball in the end zone.

The Vikings (8-2) got big games from a couple big players as well. The connection between Hernandez and Muench was evident as the two combined on five of Hernandez's 10 connections and for 211 of his 274 passing yards. The two combined on additional 59-and 27-yard touchdown passes as well.

"Elijah Hernandez and Adam Muench are both juniors, so they'll be back next year," Amundsen coach Nick Olson said. "They've been tearing it up all year. Adam Muench I think leads the state with 25 total touchdowns. Elijah Hernandez is my first 1,000 yard passer in my seventh year here.

"Those two are going to be leaders for us. We're going t lean on them in the offseason and they're going to lead us over the hump to the next step for Amundsen football."

With a running clock, it would have been easy for the Vikings to not give it their all and just take the defeat.

Not Amundsen, however, as the Vikings continued to fight and scored twice more on the Muench 27-yard reception, as well as a Jamarion Hemphill four-yard completion in the third quarter.

"We just ran out of steam at the end of the season, but had to come out and adapt," Olson said. "Just like in life, things are going to happen in football that are unexpected and it's how you adapt and overcome it.

"I'm proud of the fight today. We were outmatched, we were outclassed, outplayed for most of the game. But my guys at halftime I told them 'Make a decision. Fight back or lay down, but make a decision because nobody's going to feel sorry for you.' I'm proud of the fight. It let's me know that what I'm doing here is important, they're learning from me and I'm excited to see where these men go."

The Tigers came into the playoffs having won four of their last five games on the year, something that McLaughlin really felt helped prepare his squad for the playoffs.

Brent Blitek (26) breaks an Amundsen tackle.

"We had a couple hiccups and Colton Madura, we didn't play with for three games and he's the guy that makes it all go for us," he said. "Having him healthy and him feeling good has been the big thing that's been our catalyst."

The season didn't end as the Vikings had hoped, but that didn't discourage Olson.

The Vikings won the Chicago Public League's Illini Windy City Conference this year and qualified for the state playoffs for the third consecutive season, other than the 2020 spring season which had no postseason.

According to the IHSA website, those three playoff trips, all under Olson's watch, are the only state playoff appearances for Amundsen. The coach knows what his squad needs to do to get back there next year.

"With the pandemic, we couldn't get a full offseason in and I think that's very crucial," Olson said. "We give the guys two weeks off and then offseason weight room opens up and we get back to work. We major in the minors. The small things done correctly have big impacts on the game.

"The talent is there. Now we just need to continue to work with it."

The Tigers now face Deerfield at home next weekend, something both McLaughlin and Madura are looking forward to.

"We're ready to battle," Madura said. "We're ready to leave everything on the field because us seniors don't want to go home yet and We're going to play like that."

"They've got a great tradition and have had success in the past," McLaughlin said. "It should be a good test for us but I'm pretty sure we're ready for it."