Payton Falls to Morgan Park 28-0 in 5A IHSA Second Round

By Jack Lydon 

The Morgan Park Mustangs (10-1, 7-1) took care of business against the Walter Payton College Prep Grizzlies (8-3, 7-2) on Friday evening at Gately Stadium in IHSA 5A playoffs defeating the Grizzlies 28-0. The Grizzlies were able to move the ball and keep the ball away from the Mustangs high octane offence but never threatened to score.

It was an uphill battle for Payton on Friday against Morgan Park. The Mustangs came into the game 9-1 with their only loss to neighborhood powerhouse Simeon Career Academy. Morgan Park’s senior running back Orlando James opening the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.

Aided by multiple Morgan Park penalties, the Grizzlies put together a couple efficient drives. Payton senior quarterback Kyle Osterman connected on some effective flat passes for a couple first downs. Standout Payton senior wide receiver and safety Charlie Newton will be playing football at Columbia next year.

Morgan Park was efficient in the second quarter. A safety and two touchdowns on two possessions. The two-minute drive by Morgan Park at the end of the first half was the turning point of the game.  “We screwed up at the end of the half. We didn’t convert on fourth down. And they ended up scoring,” said Payton head coach Craig Knoche.

The second half was all Morgan Park. Payton couldn’t do much. Morgan Park’s pair of running backs Seth Cyrus and Orlando James ran the ball well breaking tackles up and down the field.

It was a remarkable 7-2 regular season for academically focused school northside CPS magnet school with losses only to DePaul Prep and Lincoln Park. Payton is widely considered the best high school in the State of Illinois, including U. S. News and World Report. The relatively new school, founded in 2000, with approximately 1,200 students, has an impressive football record, qualifying for the state playoffs each year since since 2011. Even so, this is the first year that the Grizzlies have and advanced to the second round with their 42-0 pounding of ITW-Speer last week.

The Grizzlies have struggled with numbers all season, dressing only 35 players for the game. The typically understated Payton head coach Craig Knoche downplayed the successful season. “We want to be able to compete and win IHSA playoff games,” Knoche said.

Morgan Park is probably the second-best football team in CPS behind Simeon. The Mustangs made the news in September. A fight broke out late in the game against Kenwood that resulted in 18-20 ejections and suspensions. CPS officials, fearing that might be trouble between fans of the two schools, moved the game to Lane Stadium on the northside. Despite the suspensions, Morgan Park had only one loss and that to neighboring 6A powerhouse Simeon Career Academy.

Morgan Park will face Nazareth next week in the 5A quarterfinals.

DePaul Prep Comes Back to Defeat Payton 42-21

{Preview of my story in Inside Publications)

Sloppy but effective. The DePaul Prep Rams came back from an early 14-0 deficit against the Payton College Prep to defeat the Grizzlies 42-21 at DePaul Friday evening’s season opener.

The Rams did not play well in the first half. The Grizzles did.

DePaul sophomore quarterback Fernando “JuJu” Rodriguez was picked off on a late throw down the middle early in the first quarter. After the interception and a couple Rams penalties, the Grizzlies scored on a nineteen-yard screen pass.

The ensuing kickoff was thing of beauty. The Payton kicker popped the ball up to the Rams twenty-yard line. The ball hit the field turf and bounced back like a punt. Rams returner Lavelle Hardy had no change. Payton sophomore Steveon Bynum recovered the ball.

On the next play, Payton quarterback Kyle Osterman laid out a beautiful fade pass to sophomore wide receiver Finn Ryan at the goal line for a twenty-two-yard touchdown. Just that fast, Payton was up 14-0 and was rolling.

DePaul moved the ball but just could not get in sync. With 1:35 left in the first half, the Rams rallied. JuJu Rodriguez hit standout junior wide receiver Lavelle Hardy on a skinny post. Hardy did the rest, running it in from 55 yard out.

With an onside kick of their own, DePaul’s junior linebacker Danny Kelly recovered the ball. JuJu hit junior wide receiver Michael Bloom in the endzone to tie the game. The Rams were back in it despite looking terrible in the first half.

Not halftime yet.

On the last play of the half, Osterman launched the ball up the visitor sideline to, as Payton head coach Craig Knocke described as, “the only D-1 player on our team,” Columbia commit Charlie Newton. Newton split two defenders, comes down with the ball, broke a couple tackles and score as time runs out. 21-14 Payton at the half.

Reset.

“At halftime we talked. We talked. We calmed down. A lot of guys had some first game jitters. A lot of guy were starting for the first time. We had some sophomores out there. You could see it in the kids eyes. There were some heart beats going. There was some nervousness. We calmed down and you saw the real football team in the second half,” said DePaul Prep head coach Mike Passarella.

The Rams may have calmed down but in the third quarter, the Grizzlies cramped up. “A lot of cramps, not very many injuries, a lot of cramps,” said third year Payton head coach Craig Knoche.

“We can’t mimic a game in practice. We don’t have enough people to hit. This is all four classes. We have freshmen through seniors here.”

Between the cramps and the numerous penalties, the third quarter took time. Time the Rams coaching staff used to wear down the Grizzlies.

“If you look back at the first half we beat ourselves,” explained Ram coach Passarella.

In the second half, “we knew they had a bunch of guys playing both ways. We knew we had them gassed. They started pinching the middle. That’s when we started taking advantage” by running wide.

With the ugly third quarter almost done, the Rams moved the ball behind work horse running back junior Titus Bautista down to the five-yard line. JuJu tossed a perfect quick slant to senior wide receiver (and basketball forward) Henry West to bring the Rams to within one. The PAT tied it up at 21.

Third quarter was not over yet.

The Rams pulled off an onside kick of their own. A similar putsch kick halfway up the home sideline. Rams’ junior linebacker Griffin Horne came up with the ball. The Rams were in business. From the fifteen, Henry West ran a quick out. JuJu’s throw was perfect. The first year football player West had his second touchdown in 15 ticks off the clock to put the Rams in the lead for good.

The Payton Grizzlies look to be the favorite in the reshuffled CPS Red-West conference. Coming off last year’s 6-4 record and an IHSA playoff appearance, Coach Knoche’s Grizzlies looked every bit the part to open the season even with mostly all new starters. Perhaps a little undermanned but their starting group can play.

The Rams face Amundsen next Friday afternoon at Winnemac Park. Payton takes on Von Stueben at Lane on Friday afternoon as well

Payton Defeats Phillips JV Squad 21-14

This is a preview of my article that will appear in Wednesday’s Inside Publications.

By Jack Lydon

This COVID delayed and shortened season came to a merciful but satisfying end Saturday afternoon for the Walter Payton College Prep football team against a junior varsity squad put together by CPS powerhouse Phillips. The Grizzlies came up with a 21-14 win against a very talented Phillips squad.

Short and unpredictable though it was, this season showed me one can play simply for the love of the game. It showed me how enjoyable the simply chance to play can be.

Payton was scheduled to play Solorio Academy on Saturday afternoon. Solorio had to cancel the game for none COVID related reasons. Injuries depleted its team to a point where the coach did not feel it was safe to play a game with so few players.

“We were not supposed to play Phillips,” Payton coach Craig Knocke said.

“Monday Solorio informed us that they would not be able to play this weekend. So CPS sports [administration staff] did a great job finding us an opponent that we could [play].

“This is not Phillips’ number 1 squad. They played last night.”

Phillips first team played Taft on Friday (April 23). Rebounding from a 30-0 defeat at Loyola the preceding Friday, the Wildcats defeated at tough and talented Taft team 26-21.

“This [Phillips] team that’s got, I don’t know how many, but has it 2-1 varsity players [as we do]. So the kids that didn’t play in the Taft game, played us,” said Knocke.

“Phillips is a great program. The kids who are not starters on this team, will be next year. They have some really good players.”

Everybody rips CPS. But these coaches, staff and administration found a way for the young men to play a football game when it could so easily have just called it a season.

After receiving the opening kickoff, the Grizzlies punted the ball back to Phillips. Payton senior linebacker and running back Joe Savaiano, who will play college football next year at Washington University, picked off at quick slant from Phillips junior quarterback Avante Savage and returned the ball into Phillips’ territory.

After a clunch third down catch by sophomore wide receiver Charlie Newton, senior running back Jack Dawson took the handoff at the five yard-line and ran it up the middle into the end zone for the games’ first score. Senior kicker Thomas Melecio added the point after.

On the first play of the second quarter, Payton added to its lead with a 60ish yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Eamon Glascott to senior wide receiver Danny O’Connell to push the Payton lead to 14-0.

There was no quit in Phillips talented junior varsity. Quarterback Avante Savage took a keeper up the middle and down the left sideline with 1:49 remaining the in second quarter to keep it close. Phillips added the two-point conversion making the score 14-8.

But the half was not done, Payton received the kickoff. On the second play, Glascott dropped back to pass.

“Basically, it was a slugo—slant go. I was able to get past the defender, it was a perfect throw. That’s what we work on in practice. It clearly paid off,” Payton sophomore wide receiver Charlie Newton said after the game.

He has a gift for understatement.

Newton bolted past the cornerback and got a few steps on him. Glascott’s pass was indeed perfect, dropping right into Newton outstretched arms on a dead sprint. Newton dodged the free safety coming over in coverage and raced toward the goal posts, adding a little flip into the endzone at the goal line which could not have made his coaches too happy.

Payton 21-8 at the half.

Phillips came out of the half a different team. The found energy they did not have in the first have. With this new found energy, the moved the ball up and down the field on Payton but could not punch it in.

Late in the third quarter, Payton fumbled a handoff to the running back. Phillips linebacker Jason Cannon Jr., picked up the ball and raced it into the endzone drawing the Wildcats to within a touchdown.

The teams traded long drives throughout the fourth quarter as the time ticked away.

Inside the last minute, Phillips marched the ball down to the Payton three-yard line. On third-down at the three, Phillips quarterback Savage fumbled the handoff to running back Rayshaun Thompson but recovered the ball.

On fourth and goal from the four, with the game on the line, Payton linebacker Joey Savaiano broke up Savage’s pass to Phillips wide-out Cohen Waters Jr.

Payton went on to win 21-14.

“It’s awesome to go out with a win. Not many seniors can say that. It’s either a state playoff loss or something of that nature. To end the season on a win is really special to me. [This] was a makeshift year. We only had three games,” said Payton quarterback Eamon Glascott.

“But I love coming out and playing football. High school football is the best. This is a great group of guys that might not be the biggest, fastest, strongest guys but these kids have a lot of heart.”

Both teams, their coaches and even CPS sports administration just wanted the play. No championships. Nothing really to play for except for the fun of it.

It was fun. This COVID season showed us the love of the game. Win or lose. Let’s just play.

Refreshing.

Payton Grizzles Chew Up Orr 44-8 in CPS Football Opener

This is a preview of my article that will be published in Wednesday’s Inside Publications Booster, Skyline and News-Star:

The Payton College Prep opening night 44-8 victory over Orr was the perfect metaphor this weird COVID football season: started late, ended early.

The preceding Schurz victory over Mather ran long. CPS sports administration cleared everyone out of the stadium and didn’t let in the players, coaches, staff, announcer Mark Farina and this reporter until 7:00 p.m. A few parents watched from outside the stadium at the south end of the field.

Once the game was on, there was plenty of action. After Orr took the opening kickoff, quarterback 6’1” senior Maqael Henderson ran a keeper on the first play for nine yards.

The Spartans moved the ball up the field but on a fourth and short they dropped back into punt formation. The Grizzlies were not buying it and did not send back a returner. So the Spartans punted. Grizzlies took over on their own 23 yard line.

On his first ever carry as a running back, Payton 6’0”, 205 lbs, senior Joey Savaiano took a hand off around end and sprinted up the sideline 77 yards to the season’s first score on the season’s first play from scrimmage for the Payton Grizzlies. The point after failed.

After taking Payton’s kickoff, the Spartans shifted tactics and began throwing. A couple of throws to Orr’s speedy split end, senior Jamarion Collins, failed to connect. Maquel Henderson has a big arm and he was getting protection. He was just overthrowing his receivers. Again, the Spartans punted.

Again, Joey Savaiano got the ball. On the second play of the series, splitting Spartan defenders, Savaiano sprinted up the middle of the field for another touchdown. This time 79 yards and a score. PAT was good.

With that, the first quarter ended. Grizzlies led 13-0.

Orr dressed only thirteen players of the fifteen on its roster. Almost the whole team had to play both ways. Of the fifteen, ten are sophomores.

Nevertheless, the game was not out-of-hand. If Orr could connect on a couple passes and stop Savaiano’s big runs, we would have a competitive contest.

It was not to be. Payton’s approach was methodical and balanced. The Grizzlies overwhelmed the undermanned Spartans in the second quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Payton moved the ball into Spartan territory. Payton’s 6’1” senior quarterback Eamon Glascott connected on a short out pass to senior wide receiver Danny O’Connell who turned up the sideline. In an acrobatic move worthy of an ESPN Sports Center highlight, O’Connell alluded a tackle from Orr’s Jamarion Collins, reached the ball out to the endzone pylon and scored the Grizzlies third touchdown of the game. PAT from senior kicker Thomas Melecio was good. Grizzlies 20, Spartans 0.

After an Orr turnover deep in their own end, Joey Savaiano added his third touchdown of the half on a ten yard run up the middle. Melecio added another PAT. Just that fast, Payton had pushed the led to 27-0.

Things got worse for Orr. Henderson through an interception. Payton had the ball and with 57 seconds left in the half and quickly moved the ball down to the Orr 15 yard line. A fade into the corner from Glascott to sophomore wide receiver Charlie Newton failed to connect.

Talented young kicker Melecio came on to tried to a 25 yard field goal. It was good as time expired. Grizzlies opened a 30-0 lead.

In the third period, Payton added touchdowns by junior 5’9” running back Jack Dawson on a short pass from Glascott and an impressive quick slant from Glascott to Charlie Newton. Newton ducked a tackle from Orr’s quarterback and free safety Henderson and sprinted up the middle of the field for the score.

Orr’s Henderson is just too good to be denied. With 5:00 minutes left in the third quarter, Henderson connected on a post route to Collins to get the Spartans on the board. Henderson added a two-point conversion on a keeper up the middle.

At the end of the third quarter, Payton led 44-8—then the lights went out.

Seriously. The stadium lights went off. Announcer Mark Farina suggested that the lights were on a timer and would quickly come back on.

After about 15 minutes of darkness, with the players standing around in the cold and a running clock for the fourth quarter, both coaches decided to call the game early. There would be no fourth quarter.

The first win of his head coaching career ended unceremoniously for Payton’s Craig Knoche. He wasn’t even able to get a photo of the scoreboard on his phone. But his tenure as head coach, started with two touchdowns on the first three plays.

“That’s Joey,” Knoche said, “and our offensive line. Really good players. We don’t have a lot of players but we have some really good players.”

“Joey is gonna play in college. He already knows that.”

Asked about his team’s goal, Knoche said, “We don’t really worry about that. I am just happy and excited that this group gets to play. That’s what we have tried to emphasize. I hope it came though in the game. Regardless of what would have happened in the game, the kids were excited to play. [We wanted to] make the most of the ones we have rather than focusing on the lack of nine [games].”

Grizzlies 44, Spartans 8.