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2017 Illinois State Football Championships: 6A
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Live updates: Class 6A title game
The 2017 IHSA Class 6A state football title game will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017 between Prairie Ridge and Nazareth Academy at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.
GAME PREVIEW
Prairie Ridge Wolves (13-0) vs. Nazareth Academy Roadrunners (12-1)
Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday, NBC Sports Chicago
Coaches: Chris Schremp is 133-50 in his 16 years at Prairie Ridge, which opened in 1997. He's led the Wolves to five straight postseason berths, 13 total, and two state titles.
Tim Racki is in is 13th year coaching the Roadrunners. He has led them to two titles, and as a coach he's looking for his seventh – he won four titles at Driscoll. Nazareth has made the playoffs five years in a row under Racki, and nine total times in his tenure.
Conference: Nazareth escaped the East Suburban Catholic Conference with a 6-1 mark, losing only to Marist, 42-0.
The Wolves were champs of the Fox Valley, rolling to an 8-0 mark.
Playoff history: The Wolves have only missed the playoffs five times in school history and only once since a 5-4 mark in 2004 kept them out of the postseason. They've actually missed the playoffs with a 5-4 record twice in school history.
Naz has 17 postseason appearances all-time. The Roadrunners first season of more than 10 games came in 2007, Racki's first postseason berth with the team, when they reached the quarterfinals.
State championship appearances: Someone will lose a state championship game for the first time. Both are 2-0 all time in title bouts.
Prairie Ridge won 6A titles in 2011 and 2016, and had quarterfinal berths in 2013 and 2015. Naz has made the quarterfinals every year since 2013.
Fun fact: Prairie Ridge has won 27 straight games.
Keep an eye on: Prairie Ridge is led by quarterback Samson Evans, who has committed to Iowa. He has run for 2,211 yards this year and 43 touchdowns. He has attempted just 52 passes for 815 yards, 13 scores and three picks. He only attempted one pass in a 42-21 semifinal win against Hoffman Estates.
With the run-heavy Wolves, the Roadrunners will rely on their line. In the semis, Isaiah Lee had a big game for the team in the trenches, with a sack and two tackles for a loss.
Why you should watch: It wasn't just Lee up front for Naz on Saturday, as linebacker Wesley Lones had two sacks in the 24-7 win over Providence.
But it's not just Evans for the Wolves either. Emmanuel Ebirim has rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 scores, while Cole Brown has 908 yards and 11 on scores on just 97 touches, compared to 154 for Ebirim and 230 for Evans.
Both defenses are excellent, with Prairie Ridge allowing 15.8 points per game and Nazareth allowing 14.1. The Crystal Lake offense has outscored Nazareth's this year, 577-377.
The three closest games Prairie Ridge has played this year have all been in their conference. They opened with a 7-6 win against Cary-Grove, then needed a last-second score against the Trojans in a 17-13 win in the second round. Huntley also played them to within a score, 51-43. They haven't given up more than 24 points in any other game this year.
In observance of the Presidents Day holiday, the Daily Chronicle newspaper will not be published February 18.
