Nazareth tops Joliet Catholic once again to win third straight IHSA Class 5A state championship

NORMAL – Nazareth senior quarterback Logan Malachuk stood on the east side of Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium field, looked into the stands and took it all in Saturday afternoon.

Nothing ran through his mind as fans in the stands cheered and his teammates behind him started singing. Nazareth head coach Tim Racki embraced Malachuk for a moment, but he continued to look out into the distance, taking in the moment.

[ Photos: Nazareth vs. Joliet Catholic ]

Saturday wasn’t the first time he found himself in that position. Malachuk, along with his teammates, Racki and the school’s administration knew the routine by that point after they waited to receive their state championship medals and trophy for a third straight year.

But Malacuk stood there in disbelief of what had just happened. The Roadrunners defeated Joliet Catholic 29-27 in a rematch of last season’s Class 5A state championship to win their third straight championship.

“It’s absolutely crazy,” Malachuk said. “I mean, to think that we would get here, me coming as a freshman, I had no idea, no clue. I didn’t even think this was a possibility of winning three state championships, especially in a row. That just goes to show the resilience and grit that our senior class showed, the seniors before and the juniors right now.”

Saturday was the Roadrunners’ sixth state title and the first time they won three in a row. With the win, Nazareth became the first 5A team to win three straight titles since Montini won four straight from 2009 to 2012.

Saturday was also the second time Racki has won three straight championships in his career. He won four straight with Driscoll from 2001 to 2004.

Malachuk’s championship moment was almost threatened late. Trailing 29-21 with 3:11 left in the game, the Hilltoppers (10-4) drove from Nazareth’s 47 yard line and scored on a 1-yard run by senior Vince Bremner with 20 seconds left in the game. Joliet Catholic tried to tie the game but junior quarterback Lucas Simulick’s pass wasn’t caught on the 2-point conversion attempt.

The stop capped a strong defensive performance from the Roadrunners, who forced three turnovers. Junior Ben Lukes and sophomore Dylan Wellner each intercepted a pass while senior Garrett Reese forced a fumble. Nazareth also stopped two Joliet Catholic red zone trips.

“It was really big, for sure, it showed at the end,” senior linebacker and Stanford commit Gabe Kaminski said. “They had the momentum swinging for them and they scored two touchdowns really quick. So those turnovers, that was the game.”

The Roadrunners (12-2) won another title thanks to another vintage performance from Malachuk and some special teams trickery. He and the offense clicked right from the start and scored on their first three possessions.

Malachuk connected with junior Trenton Walker for two touchdowns in the first quarter and then found senior James Penley for a 34-yard scoring pass in the second quarter. He threw his fourth touchdown of the game to Kaminski on a 6-yard pass in the third quarter.

Malachuk threw for 336 yards, completing 18-of-31 passes. Walker caught four passes for 122 yards while junior Jake Cestone finished with 60 receiving yards off four catches.

Junior punter/kicker Frankie Nichols provided a spark on special teams. He picked up a first down on a fake punt in the second quarter and then completed a 2-point conversion pass to sophomore Henry Sakalas after Kaminski’s touchdown.

“During those those clutch situations, Frankie Nichols has really come through,” Racki said. “Obviously two points being the difference today.”

Joliet Catholic kept up with Nazareth’s offensive pace early and then made key plays for a chance to win late. Simulick completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to senior Keegan Farnaus in the first quarter and senior Nate Magrini ran in for a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Simulick made it a one-score game when he completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Farnaus with 3:34 left in the game. He threw for 106 yards while senior Larry Stringham rushed for 148 yards on 23 carries and Magrini had 125 yards on 21 carries.

“I knew we’d give everything we got,” Joliet Catholic coach Jake Jaworski said. “We gave it all on the field. I’m incredibly proud of our team currently, proud of the guys that are up here right now. Our senior class has been terrific.”

Saturday ended an impressive streaks for Nazareth’s seniors who joined the program during a down year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many players left the program in order to play in other states and this season’s seniors got a chance to make an impact on the program right from the start.

“It’s absolutely crazy. I mean, to think that we would get here, me coming as a freshman, I had no idea, no clue. I didn’t even think this was a possibility of winning three state championships, especially in a row. That just goes to show the resilience and grit that our senior class showed, the seniors before and the juniors right now.”

—  Logan Malachuk, Nazareth senior quarterback

Three years later, it’s an impact Racki and the Roadrunners won’t forget.

“These guys came in with faith that the program would grow, but not just grow, they were going to lead it back to where it was prior to that shutdown,” Racki said. “That’s what they certainly did in a big way, going to quarterfinals as freshmen and then obviously leaving their legacy, with their third state title, which has never been done at Nazareth. [It] is a quite a standard to surpass.”