Nov. 25--In 37 years, you'd think Chris Andriano would have seen it all.
But for the veteran Montini coach, this has been a different kind of season on many levels. One thing that hasn't changed, though: For the seventh straight year, the Broncos are playing for a state title.
Montini (13-0) meets Crete-Monee (11-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb in the Class 6A final. The class size is one of the new wrinkles for the Broncos, whose dominance in several sports -- wrestling and girls basketball are the others -- as a mid-sized private school made them the poster children for the IHSA's adoption of the success factor.
Obviously, it hasn't slowed down Montini, which has had just one close game in its first 6A postseason: last week's 35-27 win over Prairie Ridge in a snowstorm.
In fact, the Broncos have hardly been pushed since the first two weeks of the season, when they edged Maine South 20-17 and won 24-14 at East St. Louis. Other than St. Francis, which lost 27-8 in Week 7, no other team has come within four touchdowns of the Broncos.
That was one of the surprises for Andriano.
"We thought it was going to be a really competitive schedule," he said. "It didn't turn out to be what we thought it would be."
Maine South was the only playoff qualifier the Broncos played in the regular season. East St. Louis also looked like a lock to make the postseason, but a teachers' strike forced the Flyers to forfeit their final four games.
But perennial playoff qualifiers St. Rita, Fenwick, Marmion and St. Francis all were down to varying degrees, so Montini's starters didn't play deep into games. That's paid off for a healthy Broncos team, which has just one key player out (wide receiver/defensive back Brandon Shilgalis with a broken ankle).
This Montini team is also different stylistically from the ones that won 5A titles every year from 2009-12 and was runner-up the last two seasons. Those clubs aired it out at every opportunity; this one has a dual-threat quarterback in senior Justin Blake and junior Prince Walker, one of the best running backs in school history.
Blake has accounted for almost 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns as a runner and passer while throwing just one interception -- and that was in the snow last week. He and Walker, who has rushed for 1,230 yards and 19 touchdowns, both average more than 8 yards per carry. The first word Andriano uses to describe each of their seasons is "spectacular."
That's also a good word for Montini's overall team speed and its defense, which Andriano considers to be the best he's ever had.
In fact, this could be the best team in the Andriano era, which is saying something. Any doubt would be erased by a win Saturday, which would wrap up Montini's first-ever unbeaten season. The road to that peak figured to go through Sacred Heart-Griffin, which beat the Broncos in each of the last two 5A finals and also got bumped up by the success factor.
But Crete ended the Cyclones' 39-game winning streak in the quarterfinals, a result that guarantees the Broncos won't be overconfident this weekend.
"We were looking forward to a potential game with Sacred Heart," Andriano said. "(But) we've been through this before. We know the pitfalls and we know how hard it is to get there.
"Our hearts were broken some years in the past," he added. "Now we've broken some hearts and we've gotten to play in some championship games. It's never taken for granted by us."
Especially when there's history on the line.
mclark@tribpub.com
Class 6A state championship
Montini (13-0) vs. Crete-Monee (11-2)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Huskie Stadium, DeKalb
2014 final: Nazareth 26, Lemont 7
