Chicago Mount Carmel crushes Downers Grove North for 15th state championship: Live updates recap

The Caravan dominate from start to finish to take the 7A high school football title in Illinois for the second consecutive season

Author:
Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
Updated:
Nov 25, 2023 8:23 PM EST
Original:
Nov 25, 2023

Chicago Mount Carmel entered Saturday as the defending 7A champ, and the Caravan left with the same title after an easy win over Downers Grove North.

Downers Grove North scored a touchdown in the waning seconds, but other than that it was all Mount Carmel in a 35-10 win for the Caravan, who won their 15th Illinois high school state championship overall.

The Trojans couldn't get anything going on offense until the final drive, and junior Mount Carmel quarterback Jack Elliott had a game for the ages.

He finished with 28 completions on 37 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns, plus 74 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Read below for a live-updates recap from the 7A state championship game.

FINAL: Mount Carmel 35, Downers Grove North 10

FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES

TOUCHDOWN TROJANS! Jake Wander gets DGN's first TD of the game in the waning seconds. This one will end 35-10.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Mount Carmel takes a knee on fourth down with just over a minute left. Sideline starts celebrating as if the game is over. It's a 15-yard penalty on Mount Carmel and the Trojans get the ball with just over a minute left.

Mount Carmel senior Rory Small comes in at quarterback to usher this game to the finish line.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Trojans chew up some yards and some clock, but the drive stalls just inside Mount Carmel territory. It's Caravan ball with a little over four minutes left, leading 35-3.

TOUCHDOWN CARAVAN! Maurice Densmore gets his second touchdown run of the game, this time from 5 yards out. It's 35-3 Mount Carmel with 10:22 left.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Punter's knee is down again. Mount Carmel ball on the DGN 13.

DGN punting again. Not looking good for the Trojans.

THIRD QUARTER UPDATES

Quarter ends. Fourth will start with second and long for DGN on its own 26.

TOUCHDOWN CARAVAN! Jack Elliott scores on an 11-yard run to punctuate another long, impressive Mount Carmel drive. It's 28-3 with just 18 seconds left in the quarter.

Jack Elliott continues his phenomenal game. After a big pickup on the ground on third and short, he avoids a sack with a nice stiff-arm, then runs for a first down into DGN territory. 2:30 left.

INTERCEPTION! Le'Javier Payne gets the pick near the goal line and takes off. Blindside block is called on Mount Carmel to bring most of the yardage back. Crushing play for DGN, which had driven the ball to the Caravan 30 with just under five minutes left.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Mount Carmel goes for it on fourth and goal from the 6 and the pass falls incomplete. 6:38 left, DGN ball on the Caravan 6 with the Trojans trailing 21-3.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Trojans get one first down but then have to punt after a Mount Carmel sack on third down. Looks like a blocked punt but the punter's knee was down first. Mount Carmel ball on the DGN 26.

DGN gets the ball first and could really use a big one to shift momentum in the second half. Trojans start at their own 23.

HALFTIME STATS

Mount Carmel has more first downs (21) than Downers Grove North has total yards on offense (19).

Jack Elliott has been unreal, completing 21 of 26 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.

DGN has minus-4 yards rushing.

SECOND QUARTER UPDATES

TOUCHDOWN CARAVAN! Maurice Densmore runs it in from 2 yards out on an impressive, balanced drive from Mount Carmel. It's 21-3 with 12 seconds left until halftime.

But it's another three-and-out for the DGN offense. Mount Carmel ball on its own 28 with 3:26 left, leading 14-3.

Jack Elliott makes an incredible play as the punter, getting the kick away after a bad snap and scramble. It's DGN ball on its own 37 with 4:56 left in the half.

FIELD GOAL TROJANS! 32-yard kick is good, but DGN wastes an incredible juggling catch by Owen Thulin that fell 1 yard short of a first down. Mount Carmel leads 14-3 with 8:40 left in the half.

FUMBLE! Weston Waughop recovers a muffed punt return and DGN has the ball at the Caravan 19.

FIRST QUARTER UPDATES

Quarter ends with Mount Carmel leading 14-0. Downers Grove North will start the second quarter with a second and 12 in its own territory after benefiting from a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Caravan. Trojans have struggled to generate any offense at all thus far.

TOUCHDOWN CARAVAN! Another touchdown grab for Kevin Gardner, this time for 13 yards. It's 14-0 Mount Carmel with 54 seconds left. DGN nearly had an interception on the previous play.

TOUCHDOWN CARAVAN! Kevin Gardner grabs a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jack Elliott and also had a 32-yard catch on the drive. It's 7-0 Mount Carmel with 3:55 left in the quarter.

One first down but Downers Grove North QB Owen Lansu overthrew an open receiver that could have gone for a TD. Mount Carmel ball at the Caravan 22 with about six minutes left in the quarter.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Mount Carmel goes for it on fourth and 3 and DGN comes up with the huge stop on a QB keeper by Jack Elliott. Trojans' ball on their own 29, 8:13 left, no score.

Mount Carmel in DGN territory after averting disaster with what one official called a fumble but another called the runner down, 9:20 left.

We're underway! Mount Carmel receives the opening kickoff and will start on its own 9.

PREGAME UPDATES

4:35 kickoff time.

So 4:20 was a little ambitious ...

Cary-Grove beat East St. Louis 23-20, so we should be starting at about 4:20.

Five minutes until the scheduled start and the 6A state championship game between Cary-Grove and East St. Louis is still going, so this one's going to start a little late.

PREGAME READING

As good as Downers Grove North has looked its past two games, Chicago Mount Carmel has been even more dominant.

The Caravan have scored a combined 125 points in their previous two games, so slowing down that lethal offense will be the top priority for the Trojans.

Both teams boast balanced attacks.

Wisconsin commit Darrion Dupree is the star for Chicago Mount Carmel, with 1,056 yards rushing, 704 receiving and 24 total touchdowns, but junior quarterback Jack Elliott has also been excellent and efficient.

Downers Grove North counters with the duo of senior running back Noah Battle, who has rushed for 1,098 yards and scored 21 total touchdowns, and sophomore quarterback Owen Lansu (1,929 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, seven interceptions).