Joliet Catholic vs. Nazareth Academy: How to watch Illinois 5A football state championship game
The Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers and Nazareth Academy Roadrunners will face off at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday morning in the Illinois Class 5A championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
>> Follow live updates from Joliet Catholic vs. Nazareth Academy here <<
Joliet Catholic is seeking its third state championship in six seasons and the 16th in school history. The Hilltoppers went 6-3 in the regular season but have posted four impressive wins in the playoffs, including a 31-21 victory over Providence Catholic in the semifinals.
Nazareth Academy is back in the Class 5A title game after winning the championship a year ago. The Roadrunners, who are seeking their fifth title in 10 years, opened the season with four straight losses before winning four in a row.
Nazareth Academy finished the regular season at 4-5 after losing the regular season finale against St. Francis, but the Roadrunners have found ways to win four straight – including three one-score wins – in the playoffs, including a 38-31 win in a rematch against St. Francis in the semifinals.
You can watch Joliet Catholic vs. Nazareth Academy live on the NFHS Network.
What: Illinois Class 5A football championship game
When: 10:00 a.m. Central Time on Saturday, November 25
Where: Hancock Stadium | Normal, Illinois
How to watch the live stream online: You can watch this game live on the NFHS Network
Live score updates: Follow the game on SBLive Sports for live score updates
More coverage: SBLive Sports features coverage of Illinois high school football including previews, team rankings, top player lists and much more. Follow your favorite teams on SBLive's live high school football scoreboard and download the SBLive Sports App.
Joliet Catholic (10-3)
Coach Jake Jaworski's Hilltoppers are averaging 33.4 points per game and allowing 13.9 points per contest. They average 369.4 yards of offense per game with their run-heavy offense and 261.7 rushing yards per game.
Senior running back HJ Grigsby leads the offense with 1,490 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Andy Munoz has passed for 1,366 yards and 17 touchdowns (with four interceptions). His favorite target has been senior wide receiver Adrian Washington (35 receptions, 700 yards, 10 TDs).
Junior linebacker Daniel Rouse (90 tackles, one sack) and senior defensive tackle Dillan Johnson (78 tackles, 10 sacks) lead the Hilltoppers' defense. Johnson, also a state championship wrestler, has committed to play football and wrestle at the University of Wisconsin.
Nazareth Academy (8-5)
The Roadrunners are averaging 28.4 points per game and allowing 24.5. Coach Tim Racki's squad has passed for nearly twice as many yards (3,065) as they have rushed for (1,591) and are averaging 358.3 yards of offense per game.
Junior quarterback Logan Malachuk has passed for 3,062 yards and 29 touchdowns (with three interceptions) and run for 398 yards and nine TDs.
Junior wide receiver James Penley (65 catches for 992 receiving yards and seven TDs) leads the receiving corps with sophomore wide receivers Trenton Walker (58 catches for 744 yards and seven TDs) and Jake Cestone (48 catches for 733 yards and 11 TDs) also topping 700 yards.
Linebacker Gabe Kaminski, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior, leads the defense with 116 tackles, 37 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. He is one of the top recruits in Illinois in the Class of 2025.
Lesroy Tittle, a 6-2, 200-pound sophomore running back and linebacker, leads the Roadrunners with 408 rushing yards and is second on the team with 81 tackles.
ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEWS
Players to watch at the Illinois football state championships
Illinois 1A title game preview: Lena-Winslow vs. Camp Point Central
Illinois 2A title game preview: Athens vs. Wilmington
Illinois 3A title game preview: Byron vs. Mt. Carmel
Illinois 4A title game preview: Rochester vs. St. Laurence
More coverage: Get live Illinois high school football scores on SBLive Sports. To follow your favorite teams check out the SBLive live high school football scoreboard and download the SBLive Sports App.
- Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveIL
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