Mount Carmel takes Lincoln-Way East's best shot and survives in Class 8A quarterfinal classic

Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar, along with fans and media across the state, spent the season surprised and impressed by the Griffins.

Zvonar himself was the first to point out that his players weren’t gifted with incredible size, speed, or ability. But they stormed through the season undefeated, knocked off Brother Rice, and when four-time defending state champion Mount Carmel arrived in Frankfort on Saturday for a Class 8A quarterfinal, anything was possible.

Lincoln-Way East held Mount Carmel’s high-powered offense in check for most of the game and even led at halftime. But the Caravan found a few key plays and escaped with a 21-16 win.

Mount Carmel quarterback Brady Cloherty was 31 of 43 for 305 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Caravan couldn’t find their usual big plays, but they kept the chains moving. Cloherty connected with Quentin Burrell on a 27-yard TD with 3:57 left, giving Mount Carmel a 21-10 lead and enough of a cushion to win.

“We just had to take what they were giving us and not force anything,” Burrell said. “We hurt ourselves on a couple drives. It wasn’t anything they did. Too many flags.”

Burrell, a Michigan recruit, had 11 catches for 109 yards. Junior Marshaun Thornton caught 12 passes for 124 yards, and Duran Sims added five catches for 57 yards. Tight end Ty Kennedy caught a 27-yard TD pass to open the scoring in the first quarter.

“We aren’t going to play tight coverage because they are going to run past us,” Zvonar said. “It was working for a while, but they made a few more plays than we did at the end.”

Lincoln-Way East starting quarterback Evan LeFevour has been injured throughout the playoffs. Junior Tyler Spychalski kept the Griffins (11-1) in the game, completing 8 of 19 passes for 94 yards with a touchdown pass to Landon Charbonneau and one interception.

“You go on the road against the No. 1 team in the state,” Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch said. “You have penalties, turnovers, dropped passes. It is a recipe for disaster. Especially when you are the four-time defending state champion. Everyone is targeting you. We have to be better. But these kids on the road, with all the penalties and interceptions and stupid mistakes. Imagine if we don’t make those, how special it could be.”

It was the final game for Zvonar, who started the program at Lincoln-Way East. The school named its football field after him earlier this season.

“I still feel like the luckiest man alive,” Zvonar said. “33 years here, to go out with my sons and this group here. I love each and every one of them, everyone that has ever played here. We have a community that has stood behind us. Had an administration, a faculty, student-athletes and parents second to none. It is unfortunate that communities are losing this because of the cherry-picking by the Catholic schools with the transfer portal being so wide open. But we still held on here for the most part. I just couldn’t be more grateful and humbled and couldn’t have asked for a better career, a better life.”

Mount Carmel (10-2) will face the winner of Bolingbrook vs. Oswego in the semifinals next weekend.

“[Zvonar] does it the right way,” Lynch said. “Hard-nosed kids. He gets every ounce out of those kids. Much respect on his career. I feel like he still has a lot to give in the game of football…sad to see him leave. But you never know; it is a crazy world.”