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Top 5 Football Championship Efforts
5 - Morris's 2005 Class 6a
Less than a year after the ousting of legendary coach Dan Darlington, the Morris
Redskins didn't miss a beat. Now led by coach George Dergo, Morris went unbeaten in
the Suburban Prairie South Conference, and in the regular season. They were led by the
coach's son, John, who rushed for over 2,700 yards on the season, as well as seniors
Jaimie Cumbie, Dane Zumbahlen and Alex Perry. Morris mowed down opponents in the
postseason, including their opponent in the preceding year's Class 5A title game, Joliet
Catholic. After beating the legendary Hilltoppers for the first time in school history, the
Redskins beat Crystal Lake South in the semifinal and Normal West in the Class 6A title
game. It was the first state championship for the program in 21 years.
4 - Plano's 2006 Class 3a
Being nowhere near the map of great football programs just a couple of years prior to
2006, the Plano Reapers had a couple of very successful seasons which saw them
winning the Class 3A State Championship in 2006. Prior to 2005, in which they went 11-2,
coach Jim Green's Reapers did not have a winning season in over ten years. Returning
plenty of experience from 2005, the Reapers swept both Interstate 8 powers Coal City and
Wilmington and ended the regular season at 9-0. After beating familiar foes Lisle and
Westmont in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Reapers posted a big 49-0 win over
Amboy/LaMoille, and followed that up with a semifinal win over Garrett Barnas and Bureau
Valley 49-7. The dream was accomplished over St. Joseph-Ogden in one of the most
exciting championship games played in Memorial Stadium, winning 47-42. They had a pair
of 1,000-yard rushers in Jared Ferguson and Nick Nasti, who was named the Chicago
Tribune Athlete of the Year of 06-07. Also captaining the team were Robbie LeMaster,
Ben Quintero, Brook Bott and Josh O'Hara.
3 - Plano's 2007 Class 3a
Only six small, public football programs have won back-to-back state championships prior
to 2007. Plano did the trick for the first time in five years (Aledo's 2000 and 2001 Class 2A
titles). They did it with almost new faces, without last year's lead rusher Nick Nasti and
plenty of starters from last year's team. Even though their main statistic was to be
“whatever-and-oh” after the game is finished the Reapers had an impressive one, having
given up no more than a touchdown-and-conversion in their first six games of the season.
After a loss the following week against Interstate 8 rival Coal City, Plano made their way to
the quarterfinal, where they beat St. Joseph-Ogden in last year's title game rematch, and
followed that by beating Aurora Christian in the semis and Columbia in the Class 3A title
game. The team was captained by head coach Jim Green's son Brian, Matt Smith, Dan
Peruski, Alec Haws, Luis Alvarado and Randy Niles.
2 - South Beloit's 2002 Class 1a
From somewhere out of the woods of the Wisconsin state line, and the Four Rivers
Conference of all places, South Beloit, too, was a program in which success was very
hard to find. Prior to 2001, the Sobos last winning season was in 1991. After the 2001
team finished 7-4, things looked bright for the following year. Led by senior captains Jered
Shipley and Dujuan Listenbee, the Sobos passed up touchdown after touchdown against
Four Rivers opponents, with five games over 50 points. Their lone loss was to North
Boone, but the Sobos got revenge against them with a win in Week 9. The home-and-
home scheduling may make it so that teams in the conference don't get to see a whole lot,
but that didn't stop South Beloit. Coach Drew Potthoff's team beat state power Galena in
the second round, Aquin in the quarterfinal, and defending Class 1A champion
Wethersfield in the semifinal. This was followed by a 50-point performance in the Class 1A
title game against El Paso. Shipley finished his career second all-time in passes
attempted and passing yards, tied for second in passing touchdowns, fifth in passes
completed and seventh in passing average.
1 - Galena's 2003 Class 1a
Both Plano and South Beloit turned around programs in the matter of a couple of
seasons. It would be even more magical to turn around a program after one season. What
about after seven games, being 4-3 and having lost the last two games? Only three teams
entered the playoffs with three losses and wound up winning the state championship.
Galena beat a ton of odds in winning their second state title. Behind the leadership of
captains Justin Carter, Alex DuPlessis, Matt Randecker, Casey Lange, Chad Wienen and
J.T. Borsenberger, the Pirates exited a two-game stretch against Stockton and Lena-
Winslow where they were outscored 68-3, and just won ballgames. They didn't run wild at
all, but as long as they had more points than the other team, they were going to be fine.
Their playoff scores told the story: 15-14 over Aquin, 13-10 over Stockton in three
overtimes, 17-0 over AFC, and 16-6 over Monmouth Warren. The Pirates had a fight with
LeRoy in the title game, where they went into overtime. LeRoy scored to go by one in the
final possession of the second overtime. The pressure on the LeRoy kicker worked
Galena's way, and the 21-20 win was secured. The season was also a passing of the
torch between co-head coaches Chuck Korte and Ed Freed.
5 - Morris's 2005 Class 6a
Less than a year after the ousting of legendary coach Dan Darlington, the Morris
Redskins didn't miss a beat. Now led by coach George Dergo, Morris went unbeaten in
the Suburban Prairie South Conference, and in the regular season. They were led by the
coach's son, John, who rushed for over 2,700 yards on the season, as well as seniors
Jaimie Cumbie, Dane Zumbahlen and Alex Perry. Morris mowed down opponents in the
postseason, including their opponent in the preceding year's Class 5A title game, Joliet
Catholic. After beating the legendary Hilltoppers for the first time in school history, the
Redskins beat Crystal Lake South in the semifinal and Normal West in the Class 6A title
game. It was the first state championship for the program in 21 years.
4 - Plano's 2006 Class 3a
Being nowhere near the map of great football programs just a couple of years prior to
2006, the Plano Reapers had a couple of very successful seasons which saw them
winning the Class 3A State Championship in 2006. Prior to 2005, in which they went 11-2,
coach Jim Green's Reapers did not have a winning season in over ten years. Returning
plenty of experience from 2005, the Reapers swept both Interstate 8 powers Coal City and
Wilmington and ended the regular season at 9-0. After beating familiar foes Lisle and
Westmont in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Reapers posted a big 49-0 win over
Amboy/LaMoille, and followed that up with a semifinal win over Garrett Barnas and Bureau
Valley 49-7. The dream was accomplished over St. Joseph-Ogden in one of the most
exciting championship games played in Memorial Stadium, winning 47-42. They had a pair
of 1,000-yard rushers in Jared Ferguson and Nick Nasti, who was named the Chicago
Tribune Athlete of the Year of 06-07. Also captaining the team were Robbie LeMaster,
Ben Quintero, Brook Bott and Josh O'Hara.
3 - Plano's 2007 Class 3a
Only six small, public football programs have won back-to-back state championships prior
to 2007. Plano did the trick for the first time in five years (Aledo's 2000 and 2001 Class 2A
titles). They did it with almost new faces, without last year's lead rusher Nick Nasti and
plenty of starters from last year's team. Even though their main statistic was to be
“whatever-and-oh” after the game is finished the Reapers had an impressive one, having
given up no more than a touchdown-and-conversion in their first six games of the season.
After a loss the following week against Interstate 8 rival Coal City, Plano made their way to
the quarterfinal, where they beat St. Joseph-Ogden in last year's title game rematch, and
followed that by beating Aurora Christian in the semis and Columbia in the Class 3A title
game. The team was captained by head coach Jim Green's son Brian, Matt Smith, Dan
Peruski, Alec Haws, Luis Alvarado and Randy Niles.
2 - South Beloit's 2002 Class 1a
From somewhere out of the woods of the Wisconsin state line, and the Four Rivers
Conference of all places, South Beloit, too, was a program in which success was very
hard to find. Prior to 2001, the Sobos last winning season was in 1991. After the 2001
team finished 7-4, things looked bright for the following year. Led by senior captains Jered
Shipley and Dujuan Listenbee, the Sobos passed up touchdown after touchdown against
Four Rivers opponents, with five games over 50 points. Their lone loss was to North
Boone, but the Sobos got revenge against them with a win in Week 9. The home-and-
home scheduling may make it so that teams in the conference don't get to see a whole lot,
but that didn't stop South Beloit. Coach Drew Potthoff's team beat state power Galena in
the second round, Aquin in the quarterfinal, and defending Class 1A champion
Wethersfield in the semifinal. This was followed by a 50-point performance in the Class 1A
title game against El Paso. Shipley finished his career second all-time in passes
attempted and passing yards, tied for second in passing touchdowns, fifth in passes
completed and seventh in passing average.
1 - Galena's 2003 Class 1a
Both Plano and South Beloit turned around programs in the matter of a couple of
seasons. It would be even more magical to turn around a program after one season. What
about after seven games, being 4-3 and having lost the last two games? Only three teams
entered the playoffs with three losses and wound up winning the state championship.
Galena beat a ton of odds in winning their second state title. Behind the leadership of
captains Justin Carter, Alex DuPlessis, Matt Randecker, Casey Lange, Chad Wienen and
J.T. Borsenberger, the Pirates exited a two-game stretch against Stockton and Lena-
Winslow where they were outscored 68-3, and just won ballgames. They didn't run wild at
all, but as long as they had more points than the other team, they were going to be fine.
Their playoff scores told the story: 15-14 over Aquin, 13-10 over Stockton in three
overtimes, 17-0 over AFC, and 16-6 over Monmouth Warren. The Pirates had a fight with
LeRoy in the title game, where they went into overtime. LeRoy scored to go by one in the
final possession of the second overtime. The pressure on the LeRoy kicker worked
Galena's way, and the 21-20 win was secured. The season was also a passing of the
torch between co-head coaches Chuck Korte and Ed Freed.
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