Both defenses lived up to their billing. Lincoln-Way East had a major edge in special teams play, but there was really just one difference between the Griffins and Notre Dame on Saturday in Frankfort: AJ Henning.
The senior is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Henning had three touchdowns in Lincoln-Way East’s 23-13 win against the Dons in the second round of the Class 8A state playoffs on Saturday.
Henning’s first score was on a two-yard run after Notre Dame muffed a punt. His second was classic AJ Henning. The Michigan recruit caught a short pass from Kyle Quinn and then busted through the Dons’ defense for a 29-yard touchdown. The third score was on a 14-yard pass from Quinn with just seconds left in the first half.
“I always say it is just not fair,” Griffins senior Sean McLaughlin said. “That kid is one of a kind. There is nothing better than seeing No. 3 run down the sidelines. We know that even when he doesn’t have those crazy stat lines he is going to do something to help us win.”
Henning had eight catches for 101 yards and six carries for 19 yards.
Kyle Quinn to AJ Henning, who busts free for a 29-yard TD.
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) November 9, 2019
Lincoln-Way East leads Notre Dame 16-0, 1Q pic.twitter.com/896QGYiUT7
Things changed in the second half.
“As well as we played in the first half was as poorly as we did in the second,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “I don’t ever just put that on us. Give credit to the toughness of their group that could have folded at halftime. They came back out and competed.”
Notre Dame (8-3) outscored the Griffins 13-0 in the second half. Julian Schurr scored on a one-yard run and Anthony Sayles connected with Nick Giamarusti on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 1:12 left in the game.
“There was a lack of intensity, a lack of intelligence,” Zvonar said. “We just got whipped. Maybe it is a blessing to guard against complacency. I don’t know how you can get complacent in the second round of the 8A playoffs.”
Sayles was 14-for-30 passing for 192 yards with one interception. The Dons were never able to get anything going on the ground, even in the second half. They had just 34 rushing yards.
“We pride ourselves on that,” McLauglin, a defensive end, said. “We want to be the team that makes them throw the ball. There is nothing better than stopping the rush and making them throw the ball. We know once they are one dimensional we have it in the bag.”
Lincoln-Way East (11-0) will face the winner of Neuqua Valley vs. Homewood-Flossmoor in the quarterfinals next weekend.
