St. Rita players celebrate their Prep Bowl championship. (Abel Uribe/Tribune)
By Phil English
Friday's 76th Prep Bowl may have turned on a controversial fourth--quarter pass interference call, but in the end it came down to one thing -- too much Jahwon Akui.
The St. Rita junior rushed for 148 yards -- including 98 in the second half -- and scored four touchdowns as St. Rita claimed the Catholic League's fourth consecutive Prep Bowl title with a 34-20 win over Simeon at Soldier Field.
"We figured we could dominate up front and our lineman did a great
job," said Akui, who was named the game's MVP. "There were lots of
holes and lots of space to run. I just feel blessed."
With the score tied 20-all early in the fourth quarter, Simeon appeared to have halted a Rita scoring drive at their own 28, but an incomplete pass on fourth-and-17 was ruled pass interference.
Someone on the Wolverines' sideline disagreed with the call and Simeon was, in turn, penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which resulted in a St. Rita first down at the 11.
Two plays later, Akui bowled in from the 3 to give the Mustangs a 27-20 lead with 8:03 remaining. Akui added a 16-yard scoring run with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining.
Following the game, two Simeon coaches attempted to run after officials but were quickly restrained by Soldier Field security. One was escorted from the stadium.
"I just saw two players go up for the ball and unfortunately they called it on us, but I didn't see any pass interference," Simeon defensive back Demarius Reed said. "The ref made the call."
Things couldn't have started off worse for Simeon (10-4) as Akui took the opening kickoff 85 yards for a score.
The Mustangs upped the lead minutes later when Travis Starks busted off right tackle for a 33-yard score and a 14-0 lead 3:55 in.
Simeon sophomore quarterback Robert Gregory (12-for-26, 141 yards; 13 carries, 166 yards) sparked the Wolverines the rest of the half, rushing for 41 yards in a 15-play, 80-yard drive, capping it with a 1-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal to cut the lead to 14-6.
On Simeon's next drive, Gregory ran for 75-yards and a score and Horatio Banks' up-the-gut two-point conversion knotted the score 14-14 with 10:47 left in the half.
Akui pulled in a 20-yard screen for a score late in the third and Simeon's Banks (15 carries, 77 yards) added a 26-yard run with 34 seconds left as both teams headed into the dramatic fourth quarter tied at 20.
With the score tied 20-all early in the fourth quarter, Simeon appeared to have halted a Rita scoring drive at their own 28, but an incomplete pass on fourth-and-17 was ruled pass interference.
Someone on the Wolverines' sideline disagreed with the call and Simeon was, in turn, penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which resulted in a St. Rita first down at the 11.
Two plays later, Akui bowled in from the 3 to give the Mustangs a 27-20 lead with 8:03 remaining. Akui added a 16-yard scoring run with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining.
Following the game, two Simeon coaches attempted to run after officials but were quickly restrained by Soldier Field security. One was escorted from the stadium.
"I just saw two players go up for the ball and unfortunately they called it on us, but I didn't see any pass interference," Simeon defensive back Demarius Reed said. "The ref made the call."
Things couldn't have started off worse for Simeon (10-4) as Akui took the opening kickoff 85 yards for a score.
The Mustangs upped the lead minutes later when Travis Starks busted off right tackle for a 33-yard score and a 14-0 lead 3:55 in.
Simeon sophomore quarterback Robert Gregory (12-for-26, 141 yards; 13 carries, 166 yards) sparked the Wolverines the rest of the half, rushing for 41 yards in a 15-play, 80-yard drive, capping it with a 1-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal to cut the lead to 14-6.
On Simeon's next drive, Gregory ran for 75-yards and a score and Horatio Banks' up-the-gut two-point conversion knotted the score 14-14 with 10:47 left in the half.
Akui pulled in a 20-yard screen for a score late in the third and Simeon's Banks (15 carries, 77 yards) added a 26-yard run with 34 seconds left as both teams headed into the dramatic fourth quarter tied at 20.
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Of course they are a bunch of thugs! Who else would cause so much damage to the locker rooms? Over $10,000.00 worth! First sign of a loser is blaming a call or ref. Either way it's no excuse for what the coaches and players did after the game. And the PI call on fourth down did not change the game. It was the thug coach who threw the clipboard on the field and got another penalty. Typical coming from a thug....
No one mentioned the Simeon fumble { that wasn't called } on the goal line that St.Rita recovered that could have changed the momentum of the game early on. The replay showed it, and the ref was standing right there { and let it go }. I didn't see the St. Rita coaches on the field, or chasing refs after the game. It's all about discipline. How do you expect the kids to act when their coaches can't control themselves. The refs made the call, not the st. Rita team. Why start a fight with the other team after the last play. You can have talent, but it has to molded by men with class.
What a painful loss for Simeon after a well played game. The interference call on 4th down was a bad one, and pretty much decided the outcome of the game. One thing about Sports Director, Calvin Davis is that he has a zero tolerance for unsportsmanlike conduct. I saw him on the field watching the coaches go after the official. As painful as the loss was for the Public League, he won't accept the conduct exibited by a couple of the Simeon coaches at the end of the game. Expect to see strong repercussions coming from Davis. You heard it here first.
JC, abunch of thugs???do you have your facts??? i also played for simeon class of 03 and neither is the coaching staff or players a bunch of thugs...im not saying that the coach was right for running after the ref. but he was escorted from the stadium...emotions tend to run deep when theres a controversial call like that...maybe they were trying to talk to the ref...whos to say...but a bunch of thugs is not a good statement to make about the young players or coaches...all these kids go out and give it there all and they want to win...now the north chicago game, north chicago coach even acknowledges that his team started that fight...please give me another time in which a simeon team was involved in a brawl (bring facts)??? its not acceptable at our school...
congrats to Saint Rita for there victory in the prep bowl.
congrats to MY SCHOOL THE CITY CHAMPS SIMEON for a great season and runner up in the prep bowl.
JC,i was at the game i played for Simeon in the 80s and by that you know i know what im talking about the way games are called when it comes down to some (leagues)i don't blame the kids from St.Rita their just kids playing hard i don't like the way the staff from Simeon reacted when that horriable call was made we have to fight threw that,but even you know that call change the game,you can be the biggest St.Rita fan and know that was a bad call, sometimes when you work so hard for something and it's taken away from you who knows how your going to react you would never see this in a Mount Carmel-St Rita game but youll see this in almost every Prep bowl.Simeon players and staff are not thugs coach Chic is a great person more then a coach the staff member that went after that ref should be fired ,but never say a great program like that is bad for a few bad apples.Let the kids decide who's the best team not some ref the ISHA should investgate, yeah St.Rita showed class but what if that happen to them, yes congrats to them but who can deny history JC.
The game was well played by both teams, Simeon just had lapses of being disciplined. The pass interference call was a close call and could have gone either way; the actions on the sidelines are what cost them and was inexcusable. What message does a coach (or two) send when they chase after a ref during the call and again after the game?
Its sad that one play changed the game, not so much the pass interference but the 15 yard unsportsmanlike on the bench. Simeon actually could have been flagged much more thru the game with the chop blocks they got away with, flagged for 1 of 9 that I witnessed.
A huge bright spot for Simeon is their QB, the kid can run, take a hit and has a good arm. The kid also showed good sportsmanship at the end. As many of Simeon's kids didn't line up for hand shakes, he was one of the 1st to jump in line and lead others into doing what was right. The kid has class, something he can teach his teammates, coaches and fans.
The game was well played by both teams, Simeon just had lapses of being disciplined. The pass interference call was a close call and could have gone either way; the actions on the sidelines are what cost them and was inexcusable. What message does a coach (or two) send when they chase after a ref during the call and again after the game?
Its sad that one play changed the game, not so much the pass interference but the 15 yard unsportsmanlike on the bench. Simeon actually could have been flagged much more thru the game with the chop blocks they got away with, flagged for 1 of 9 that I witnessed.
A huge bright spot for Simeon is their QB, the kid can run, take a hit and has a good arm. The kid also showed good sportsmanship at the end. As many of Simeon's kids didn't line up for hand shakes, he was one of the 1st to jump in line and lead others into doing what was right. The kid has class, something he can teach his teammates, coaches and fans.
The game was well played by both teams, Simeon just had lapses of being disciplined. The pass interference call was a close call and could have gone either way; the actions on the sidelines are what cost them and was inexcusable. What message does a coach (or two) send when they chase after a ref during the call and again after the game?
Its sad that one play changed the game, not so much the pass interference but the 15 yard unsportsmanlike on the bench. Simeon actually could have been flagged much more thru the game with the chop blocks they got away with, flagged for 1 of 9 that I witnessed.
A huge bright spot for Simeon is their QB, the kid can run, take a hit and has a good arm. The kid also showed good sportsmanship at the end. As many of Simeon's kids didn't line up for hand shakes, he was one of the 1st to jump in line and lead others into doing what was right. The kid has class, something he can teach his teammates, coaches and fans.
Is the Simeon team and coaches reaction to a close call? Remember they were involved in a huge brawl against North Chicago ealier this season. Looks even more like the ISHA - as usual - named the wrong party as guilty. Simeon players and staff are abunch of thugs who have total disregard for rules, none of which they apparently respect. Maybe now the ISHA will take action and suspend this program for at least 2 games at the start of the 2010 season.
Congrats St. Rita on showing class in a great victory