Stagg is going to arrive in style for its Class 7A semifinal Saturday at Edwardsville (11-1), last year’s 7A runner-up.
That’s because Palos Hills Mayor Jerry Bennett will be escorting the Chargers’ team buses to southern Illinois Friday morning with Deputy Police Chief Steve Good riding shotgun in an unmarked squad car.
“Stagg making it to the semifinals is history-making for us and one of the best things that’s ever happened to this community,” Bennett said. “I’ve been in office for 22 years and lived here for 30. For what these kids are accomplishing, I can’t do enough.”
Bennett, who will be watching his constituents’ children play for the fifth time, arranged a four-car, round-trip police escort to the South Side last week when Stagg beat St. Rita 21-10 in the school’s first quarterfinal game.
“It was wild the way traffic was stopped for us, and we were all going nuts inside the bus,” said linebacker Sean Kenney, who was named the SICA Gray’s defensive player of the year after averaging 15 tackles a game.
“We’ve got fan buses, faculty buses–everyone is coming to the games. You see cars with `Go Chargers’ signs in their windows all the time.
“Everyone is so excited because it’s not like `Stagg football’ and `state championship’ exactly go together in the same sentence. Hopefully, that will change.”
Going from 2-7 last year to 10-2 and the final four is heady stuff. Coach Tim McAlpin has resurrected a program that had not been to the playoffs in 10 years.
“The players worked so hard conditioning in the off-season–and we got off to a good start–but beating Bolingbrook [in Week 7] for the first time in school history was the big step,” McAlpin said. “Bolingbrook came in undefeated and was beating everyone by a zillion points. That’s when the kids really started to believe in themselves–that they could beat the best around.”
Stagg’s reversal of fortune was made easier by talented junior quarterback Joe Ganz, who is equally adept running an option offense or a shotgun, one-back set. He has completed 60 percent of his passes while piling up 1,660 total yards with 10 passing and 11 rushing touchdowns.
“He’s a talented option quarterback who can also throw the ball real well and would be an excellent drop-back passer in another program,” McAlpin said. “He’s practically our whole offense.”
Since McAlpin moved 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound two-way standout Dave Mordis from free safety to linebacker, the Chargers are 8-0. As a running back, Mordis has rushed for 755 yards and 11 touchdowns while backfield mate Dominique Barnes has nearly 1,000 yards and 12 TDs.
“You read a lot about other teams like Providence and Mt. Carmel always going to the semifinals,” McAlpin said. “It’s cool to be there too.”
