Lockport Captures Class 8A Championship

DeKALB, IL — Just three years removed from a winless season, Lockport High School captured the IHSA Class 8A title with a 24-6 win against Maine South on Saturday at Huskie Stadium on the Northern Illinois University campus. The win was the Porters' third state title in school history.

Maine South was seeking its sixth state championship, and came into the game with a 12-1 record.

The Porters were led by running back Ty Schultz, who ran for 231 yards and two touchdowns, and a stingy defense that held Maine South star running back Mike Sajenko to just 84 yards rushing and no scores. To put that defensive performance in context, Sajenko had scored 14 touchdowns in the playoffs.

Lockport had a 10-0 lead in the third quarter when the Hawks reached the end zone to bring the score to 10-6. The Porters then scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to seal the win.

Lockport's state title — its first since 2003 — completes a dramatic turnaround for the program, which posted an 0-9 record as recently 2018. The school had not won a playoff game since 2011 coming into the IHSA playoffs this season.