By Ed Muniz-Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
**Additional Photos are available for purchase at https://www.justallsports.zenfolio.com/mainesvwarren**
Friday Night Lights was on full display in Park Ridge on September 2.
The 22nd ranked Maine South Hawks played host to the Warren Blue Devils from Gurnee.
Two of best programs in the state each knew this game would test them early in the season.
Last season, Coach David Inserra’s top ranked Hawks dropped an early game at Palatine, but came back and improved each game, reaching the 8A Championship game. The Hawks have been a fixtured in the State Championship series, winning a state title in 2016.
Warren has had its share of winning as well, Coach Brian McNulty has put his mark on the Blue Devil program entering his eighth year. In 2019 he reached the State title game as well.
The anticipation of this game had the stands full and provided an atmosphere of a playoff game.
After a scoreless first half, Maine South opened a 10-0 lead at home early in the fourth quarter, but the final 11:14 of the battle went to the Blue Devils scoring 19 straight points, winning 19-17 after a late score by the Hawks.
“We knew we were going to have to take their best shot. I mean, Dave Inserra is a legend, he’s just that good of a coach,” said McNulty.
“We knew they’d come out in that second half and be ready to go, we were sitting there taking their best shot and we didn’t respond really well, then the kids woke it up and Charlie (Thompson) had that big run and that changed things.”
The fist half was a series of back and forth with defenses dominating play but offensively, the Blue Devils did move the ball better against the Hawks, Although Maine South had the best scoring opportunity.
A big first quarter run up the middle by Leyden went for 44-yards. After reaching the Warren 4-yard-line, a lofted pass to the left corner from Leyden seemed to be caught for a touchdown but offensive interference was called and pushed the Hawks back to their 19 yard-line.
Two plays later the Hawks brought on kicker Sam Taglia for the 29-yard field goal attempt. The kick ws smothered and blocked and recovered by the Blue Devils at their own 35.
Maine South did lose their starting quarterback Ryan Leyden to an injury after an 8-yard run early in the second quarter. Leyden worked the offense well, mixing the pass and run game effectively. He was a threat both ways, so that was a big loss for the host.
Warren had speed on both sides of the ball. Their first series became a 17-play drive using a mixture of Thompson, Adam Behrens and Jailen Duffie runs and receptions by Miko Mantzoros, Cassius Callahan and Thompson to move the ball upfield.
The long drive stalled after a fourth down completion at the Hawks 25.
Each team possessed the ball just once in the open quarter. The second quarter saw each team defense respond forcing multiple punts. Maine South’s Emmet Wolf was nearly on every play. The 6’4 senior defensive end was relentless on his pursue of the ball.
Wolf made his presence felt gathering tackles and assisting on several plays.
“Our defense was really good at not giving up big plays early. We all kept the play in front of us for the most part and didn’t give up much.”
Wolf also was pesky on pass-plays as he seemed to alter or deflect passes making it more difficult for the Warren quarterback.
Also shining defensively for the Hawks in the first half was lineman Lex Flores and linebackers Brady Marques and Mike Migon.
Warren had solid efforts from Defensive lineman Aidan Porreca and Colby Kachurik, defensive backs’ Jaden Turner and Quentin Reeves along with Linebacker Justin Kretz. All had tackles that kept the Hawks off the score board.
Porecca led the group. His ability to react to the ball and its direction led the Warren first half tackle tally.
“I was just doing how we are coached,” said Porreca. Porreca was good at following the ball and anticipating where the play was going, allowing him to make a tackle but he admits not always.
“I sometimes feel I have good vision, but I bit down on a couple fakes, I don’t always have the best eyes. I just play hard and play for the team.”
The second half started off meekly for Warren gaining next to nothing, forcing them to punt.
Hawks junior quarterback Jack DeFilippis came in after Leyden was injured and would hold the reigns the remainder of the game.
His gutsy performance showed how much he wanted to lead his Hawks team.
“I really wanted to lead this team to Victory,” said DeFilippis. “We’re a successful program, I wanted to do everything I could to put this team in the best spot and create a legacy for myself with a win. I made some mistakes, and we came up short, so I need to clean up some stuff and get better.”
Called on to come in without much of a warm-up is ultra-difficult, but DeFilippis showed some Moxy after taking massive hits from the Warren defense. No sooner he’d hit the ground then bounce right up and get back to the huddle.
“His (DeFilippis) performance was really great, he was like a Warrior out there taking a bunch of big hits and he just kept getting back up over and over,” said Wolf of his teammate.
The Hawks jumped ahead on their initial series of the second half. They drove to the Warren six-yard-line but had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Sam Taglia.
They extended the lead to 10-0 early in the fourth quarter when DeFilippis drew in the Warren defense as he back peddled then completing a screen-pass to running-back Michael Dellumo who raced untouched down the near sideline for the 13-yard touchdown. Taglia converted a kick after.
Siting pretty with a two-score lead, things were going Maine South way, but it took the Blue Devils just one play to tighten the game again.
The very next play from scrimmage saw Warren senior running-back’ Charley Thompson brake through the line and run past everyone enroute to an 80-yard touchdown run. Unable to convert the point-after, the score now stood at 10-6 with just a little over 10 minutes to play.
The following series after the Warren score changed the momentum completely.
Two bad snaps were followed by Defilippis throwing an errant pass that was intercepted by Blue Devil defensive back’ Jailen Duffie. Duffie had been sidelined previously with an injury but returned in time to make the huge play.
Solidly with all the momentum, supported by a voicetress, blue-garbbed crowd, the visitors took just three plays to take the lead.
Quarterback Adam Behrens lofted a perfect 28-yard pass that receiver Duffie hauled in, toe tapping deep in the corner end-zone for the touchdown. Kicker Quentin Reeves completed the point-after as the score now had the Blue Devils up 13-10.
The game momentum carried over to the Warren defense who managed to stop the Hawks next drive ad even blocked the punt. Wiley Liam managed to get through the Hawks blocking and pawed the put which was recovered at the Maine South 48.
Everything was going the Bule Devils way; even broken plays were gaining huge yards. Behrens ran for 11-yards on one but it was the mixture of runs and pass plays that kept the Warren offense moving up field.
A pair of pass-plays to Callahan and Brain Strelzyk each produced big yards of 15 and 19 respectively until Justin Kretz powered in from two yards out for the Blue Devils third touchdown, upping the lead to 19-10 with 2:56 left in the game
DeFilippis knew he had to rally the team and make good plays quickly and he did. He became more elusive. Throwing on the run, churning up yards with completions to Sean Mullens, Matt Romano, Dellumo, Ryan Pothast and finally a 10-yard touchdown-pass to Mullen with :34 seconds left,
An onside kick followed with the score now at 19-17, but the Blue Devils recovered and took a knee to end the game.
Winning quarterback Adam Behrens added.
“We had control of the ball most of the first half, we dominated time of possession, and it was hard not being able to put it in. We did have a fade that got called back. Personally, we just had to get after it the second half. We know we work harder than them. A spark from Charley (Thompson) on his 80-yard run got us going and we took off from there. Our line worked well today, told them just to pass block so I threw it up and Duffie and he made a play.”
Behrens is cool as can be. With a strong arm and good running skills, he is a huge threat for defenses. His confidence is very apparent on and off the field, and its the smooth coolness about him that leads this team. No panic and no signs of nerves, you look at him and there wasnt a concern visible when he was trailing, probably because he knew all along what the outcome would be.
Defensively, no one got after it more than Warren defensive back Jaden Turner. From the beginning of the game to its conclusion, he was a man possessed on the field. He showed speed and closure along with hard-hitting tackling that no one matched. He was even penalized for too hard a tackle.
“I’d say getting to the ball is what I do really well,” said Turner. “I’m like the dog of the group and they got a hold of the chain on me, I got loose, I gotta get loose. I gotta keep putting it on them and after the penalty, next play I got it back. I’m working hard, listening to my coaches. I think Anthony Soto and the whole D-Line was great and played well in this game.”
Warren travels to conference rival Libertyville next week while Maine South looks to rebound at Barrington.
