Here are highlights and notes from Week 8 results around the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Montini nearing historic marks after victory against St. Ignatius

Could the 2025 Montini Broncos become only the fifth team in the school’s six-decade-long history to finish the regular season undefeated?

After dominating St. Ignatius 49-7 last Friday, this year’s squad is just one win away from achieving that historic feat. Moreover, Montini (8-0, 2-0 CCL/ESCC White) can secure an outright division championship with a win against St. Laurence in Week 9. Those are the two goals head coach Mike Bukovsky has laid out for the Broncos as practice kicks off this week.

“We can’t win a state championship this week, but we can win one of the few Catholic League outright conference championships we’ve ever won,” said Bukovsky. “Getting into the playoffs and winning the state championship is the ultimate goal, but we can’t do that this week. We’re going to focus on the two goals we always have, like winning a conference championship.”

With junior quarterback and four-star 2027 prospect Israel Abrams leading the way, Montini’s offense has kicked into high gear over the last month. The Broncos have scored 47 points or more in each of their last four games. That stretch included Abrams throwing for 568 yards and five touchdowns during a 55-54 shootout win over Carmel and Nebraska recruit Trae Taylor.

“We have a brand new offensive staff,” Bukovsky said. “It might have taken a little time for all of us to jell, but things are going well there. We have a new coordinator and a new offensive line coach, so we had to iron out some things there, but right now, we have a really good, smooth rhythm. We’re balanced when we need to be balanced and we’ve made some big strides in the running game. Our offensive line is playing with more confidence.”

Defensively, Montini has limited opponents to seven points or less in three of its last four games. With senior leaders like Santino Tenuta and Laddie Asay spearheading the charge, the Broncos have retooled their defense after losing nearly all of their starters from last year’s 3A state title roster. The success in the White Division, which could qualify all four of its teams for the postseason, carries a little more weight than usual, Bukovsky said.

“We graduated 10 of our 11 starters, so we were starting from scratch,” Bukovsky said. “That was the biggest question mark coming into the year and the ability of those guys to step up has been the biggest reason for our overall success this year. I knew the offense was going to be explosive and we knew we had some really good pieces there, but defensively, we weren’t sure what exactly we had. Those kids stepping up has been very satisfying.”

Joliet Catholic in unfamiliar territory as Providence matchup looms

It’s been tough sledding for state powerhouse Joliet Catholic this season. The Hilltoppers, who’ve missed the playoffs just twice since 1998 (excluding the shortened COVID season) and won eight state championships during that span, find themselves on the bubble with one week left in this season.

Playing one of the toughest schedules in the state hasn’t helped, as Joliet Catholic (3-5, 2-0 CCL/ESCC Orange) has had to face Lyons and Glenbard West out of conference as well as state-ranked Fenwick, Nazareth and Mount Carmel in Catholic League action. Despite that difficult slate, the Hilltoppers have found positives as they prepare to battle Providence next.

“We’ve played a really solid schedule and we’ve battled,” head coach Jake Jaworski said. “The guys keep showing up and they’re working hard... I think we’ve played more guys this year than any of my years before because of some injuries and having guys in and out of the lineup. It’s been a next-man-up mentality and we came into the season with 16 new starters. We replaced a lot of guys from last year and the injuries hit us early.”

Joliet Catholic picked up some momentum over the weekend, shutting out winless De La Salle 49-0. The Hilltoppers, who survived Marist 23-17 on a broken play and outmuscled Niles Notre Dame 16-7 in Orange Division play earlier this season, can clinch the division title with a win over the Celtics, who’re ranked No. 2 in 5A. A loss would end Joliet Catholic’s playoff hopes.

“We talked after the game the other night that we’re guaranteed four more days of practice and one more game,” Jaworski said. “We have to raise our level of intensity in practice and we have to lay it on the line Friday night. Providence has had a really solid season and they have a big, physical offensive line and run game. We have to be able to match that.”

Junior center Jack Lynch and sophomore guard Nico Gonzalez have emerged on an offensive line replacing four starters from last season, when Joliet Catholic went 10-4 and made the IHSA 5A state finals, losing to Nazareth. Senior receiver Jayden Armstrong has made plays on offense and in the return game for the Hilltoppers, who’ve struggled with turnovers this year.

“Jack has become a leader, Nico has been a bright spot and Jayden’s been a Swiss army knife for us,” Jaworski said. “He’s had a really good season. Our biggest bugaboo this season has been turnovers and we’ve turned the ball over a lot in our own territory. It’s been a work in progress throughout the season and hopefully they can come out and have a good game Friday night.”

Defensively, Joliet Catholic has fought attrition, losing three starters to injuries during its Week 1 loss against Lyons. Junior linebacker Derrick Pomatto has improved after starting as a sophomore, while defensive ends Kingston Dunagan and Ian Campbell, a Navy recruit, have provided a steady pass rush for the Hilltoppers. Defensive back Parker Mores, who left the Lyons game in an ambulance, has shone since returning to action in Week 4.

“One of our biggest issues defensively has been injuries,” Jaworski said. “Derrick has definitely stepped into a leadership role and we can definitely see the growth and maturity. Our two defensive ends, Ian and Kingston, have been bright spots and they’ve put some pressure on the quarterback.”

Niles Notre Dame snaps five-game losing streak with win over Leo

Niles Notre Dame head coach Dan DeFranza, in his first season leading the program after serving as the defensive coordinator for three decades, was happy to see smiles on his sideline for the first time in several weeks.

Breaking a five-game losing streak will do that. After facing a slew of tough opponents including Providence, St. Rita and Brother Rice, the Dons came out on top during their Week 8 matchup against Leo. Behind a season-high offensive output, Notre Dame (3-5, 0-2 CCL/ESCC Orange) reached the 40-point mark for the first time this season, beating the Lions 40-18.

“We were certainly preparing for a better season in terms of our record,” DeFranza said. “We know we’ve had a very tough schedule... I don’t know if we’re at the elite level of play yet, but I’m proud of the grit we’ve shown, even in some losses. It’s a very difficult league and when we turn on the film every Saturday, we’re amazed how well coached these teams are. To get our win against Leo was pretty important and it was nice to see our kids smile.”

Quarterbacks Quinn Conway (4 of 9 for 44 yards) and Eric Couper (4 of 8 for 53 yards) combined to toss three touchdown passes in the victory. Senior running backs Dominic Helser and Dillon Gallagher each rushed for scores on the ground, while junior wide receiver Peter Panagiotopoulos hauled in a pair of touchdown catches for the Dons, who posted 250 yards of offense.

Senior lineman Sean Washkevich provided the defensive highlight, scooping a fumble up for a touchdown. Kicker Mickey Olszewski made all four PATs for the Dons, who will conclude the regular season against Marist on Friday night. A win against the Redhawks would elevate Niles Notre Dame to 4-5 on the season, giving the Dons an outside shot at an at-large playoff bid.

“We have a lot of respect for Marist and they’ve had our number the last couple of years,” DeFranza said. “Our kids are well aware of that and I haven’t seen our kids so excited to play a football game in a long time. They’re very excited about the opportunity to play Marist this week and whoever wins gets to 4-5. With Marist’s points and with our points, it’s not unprecedented and we know a couple of other dominoes have to fall.”

Close games have been a theme this season for the Dons, who took down Washington 13-12 before holding off St. Charles East 31-28 to start the season unbeaten. Since then, Notre Dame has played six games, three of which have been decided by 10 points or less. The Dons nearly defeated St. Laurence in Week 3, but a late touchdown and 2-point conversion with just seconds left, after a failure to gain a first down, led to a 15-14 loss.

“We’ve talked about pushing forward, but we’ve talked a lot about life situations and how things don’t always go your way in life, no matter how hard you try or how much you pray,” DeFranza said. “Life is how you respond to adversity and we talk about it with our kids every day. I make it a point to relate football to life and when you get knocked down, you gotta get up.”

Offensively, it’s been a by-committee approach for the Dons, who’ve used three quarterbacks in Conway, Couper and Luke Dickey. The strength of the Notre Dame offense is the left side of the line, where junior guard Sean Cook and junior tackle Ray Hookfin have controlled the trenches. Injuries have impacted the running back position, as the Dons have played without juniors Deonte Macon and Throy Nightingale for most of the season.

Senior linebacker Alex Wojtulewicz, a two-sport standout in football and hockey, has shouldered the load as a defensive leader for the Dons, posting a season-high 20 tackles in a game earlier this season. Senior defensive back Adam Stankiewicz has been a sure tackler in the secondary, while junior lineman/linebacker Konrad Hozian is a player to watch for next season.