Junior defensive back Cullen Winters couldn’t get one play out of his head for Mount Carmel. And that was a good thing, too, because he ended up putting it to good use Wednesday night.
The special teams standout worked his second chance to perfection.
“Earlier in the game, I faked the move outside and I went inside,” Winter said, recalling the sequence of events. “I saw the chance at a block was there, so I did it again and I got it.”
It also got the Caravan going in the third quarter.
Winters blocked a punt that Gavin Conjar returned for a touchdown as Mount Carmel iced a 20-3 win over Oswego in the Class 8A state championship game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.
Senior quarterback Emmett Dowling ran for a TD and also threw a TD pass as the Caravan (14-0) captured their fourth straight state title but first championship in 8A during that gold-plated stretch.
Special teams set up the Caravan’s first two scores, with Mount Carmel’s typically high-powered attack hampered by the freezing cold temperatures and superb defensive play by Oswego (11-3).
Senior punter Dean Kemph pinned Oswego inside its own 1-yard line late in the second quarter, setting up a short field that resulted in Dowling’s 1-yard TD keeper and a 6-3 halftime lead.
“We practice special teams a ton during the week,” Kemph said. “We’re very diligent. We were just in the right place at the right time from going through so many reps and we got it down.”
After the Caravan stopped Oswego on the opening possession of the second half, Winters broke through the right side for the block.
“Cullen and I are on the same side of the field defensively most of the time,” Conjar said. “We have a great connection. After the block, the ball bounced and it came right to me.
“There’s no greater feeling.”
Winters, a first-year varsity player, missed his entire sophomore season due to complications from a back injury.
“Coming into the season, I wasn’t sure if I was going to play that much,” he said. “By the end, I was in all the time and making plays. I worked hard the whole offseason on my skills.
“I was ready to make something happen.”
As a defensive back typically operating on the right side, Winters also connected with Conjar, a safety, to shut things down. The Caravan allowed only three first downs.
Junior linebacker Roman Igwebuike added an interception for Mount Carmel, which limited Oswego to 143 yards of offense and just 2.8 yards a play.
“Early in the game, we completely stopped their run, so we knew they had to look to pass,” Winters said. “I knew I was going to be on the field a lot, and I had to step up and make plays.”
Winters and Conjar also stepped up at the end of the third quarter as Oswego faced first-and-goal from the 6. The duo helped force four straight incomplete passes.
Dowling then put the game out of reach with a 4-yard TD strike to sophomore wide receiver Marshaun Thornton in the fourth.
“Watching Cullen come back and make these plays after dealing with so many injuries the last couple of years was great,” Conjar said. “He made great plays the whole night.”
The state title marked the 17th in program history, an Illinois High School Association record. Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch talked at length about the achievement.
“We have a lot of legacy kids, players whose fathers played here or their brothers,” Lynch said.
Winters, meanwhile, personifies those deep family connections.
“My two brothers played here two and three years ago and they were part of the title teams,” he said. “After having to watch all the guys last year, this is a great feeling being part of this legacy.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
