Clicking on all three phases: Maine South, St. Francis take step forward at Naperville North 7-on-7
Maine South enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying day of football at the Windy City Classic 7-on-7 competition at Naperville North.
“A total team effort, offense and defense, obviously, and then the linemen. It was a good day for us,” coach Dave Inserra said after the Hawks topped St. Francis 33-24 in the championship to cap a long day of football.
The Hawks swept pool play 3-0 to earn the top seed of the 14-team competition, then beat Glenbard West, Glenbard North and the Spartans, a Class 5A team in 2023 playing against a lineup of 7A and 8A squads.
“It was a good competition for us today,” St. Francis coach Bob McMillen. “We’ve only been at this three days now, but to do what we did, and the way we competed, I’m happy.”
St. Francis’ Bloomingdale combination of strong-armed quarterback Brady Palmer and tight end Gavin Mueller, plus receivers such as Ian Willis, Zach Washington and Dario Milivojevic pulled the Spartans through three straight tournament wins after a 1-2 start in pool play.
Mueller, a 6-foot-6, 240 pound junior, hadn’t played football since middle school in St. Isidore Parish but showed the athleticism he has elsewhere for the Spartans as an all-state thrower in track and field and a two-year starter in basketball.
“It’s great,” Mueller said of his first 7-on-7. “It’s like an AAU tournament in football.”
Maine South sophomore quarterback Jameson Purcell was dealing all day on the field, and the defense got a key interception by Max Sivore in the title game. The Hawks linemen showed their stuff in the premier event of the Lineman Challenge, the tug of war.
The tug of war finalists both were units from Maine South, featuring players like Zak Stoilov, Tyler Fortis, Eddy Dase, Petar Strbac and Lazar Babic. Averaging 6-4, 275 pounds, those five give Inserra reassurance.
“It’s very comforting when you put your head down at night. Maybe more so for the quarterback,” he said.
Glenbard West senior Michael O’Connell, a 6-7, 290-pound Northwestern commit, anchored the Hilltoppers’ rope in tug of war. He also got a kick out of the 40-yard dash (4.9 seconds) and the medicine ball toss (24 feet).
“Last year here I was 5-something, 5-flat maybe,” O’Connell said of his sprint.
Glenbard North was a surprise semifinalist. The Panthers went 0-3 in pool play, drawing the 14th and last seed. They then beat Neuqua Valley and the second of Lincoln-Way East’s two entries before falling to Maine South.
Quarterbacks Ben Princis and Kyle Melody and two-way players Dylan Hendee, Zach Morris and Will Cook-Lesley got them there.
Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens “absolutely” was pleased with their progression.
“From where we started to where we finished, we kept getting better,” he said.
Naperville North, hosting the tournament a second year, has some receivers to go with Ball State-bound quarterback Jacob Bell and defensive lineman Gabe Hill, Illinois’ No. 6 junior by Rivals.com.
“All of us have our own specific ways to get open, but we are all fast and quick,” Brock Pettaway said of fellow Huskies receivers Ian MacConnachie, Nick Manzardo and tight end Garrett Kristle.
Prep football has begun. With it, the usual learning curve.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys out there,” Neuqua coach Bill Ellinghaus said, “and they’re learning how to play together.”