Nazareth wins Class 5A to complete a state championship three-peat

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ORMAL, Ill. — Logan Malachuk and Gabe Kaminski had a significant impact on Nazareth as freshmen. It was just a warm-up for three years of excellence.

The Roadrunners (12-2) beat Joliet Catholic 29-27 on Saturday at ISU’s Hancock Stadium. The victory secured a third consecutive Class 5A state championship for Nazareth.

Malachuk led the offense over those three titles and Kaminski the defense. The pair connected for a six-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Hilltoppers. Kaminski, a Stanford recruit, also plays tight end.

“State titles are nice but you always want to leave the program better than you found it,” Kaminski said. “We really achieved that. It all comes back to the brotherhood that [coach Tim Racki] instilled in us.”

Out of junior high, Malachuk knew only one other student attending Nazareth. He took a shadow day at the school, and it was a quick five-minute talk with Racki that made him decide to attend.

“My parents and I knew after that it was the place we wanted to be,” Malachuk said.

Malachuck was sensational in his third title game. He was 18-for-31 for 336 yards and four touchdowns.

Trenton Walker had four catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. James Penley caught three passes for 88 yards and a touchdown for the Roadrunners.

“You are only as strong as your weakest link,” Kaminski said. “Everybody plays a role. That translates directly to life. Everything matters. That’s a big thing [Racki] harps on and a big thing I’ll take forward.”

Kicker/backup QB Frankie Nichols had two big moments for Nazareth. He pulled off a key fake punt and threw a two-point conversion.

“During those clutch situations [Nichols] has really come through,” Racki said. “Obviously two points were the difference.”

Joliet Catholic (10-4) had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Vince Bremner scored on a two-yard run with 20 seconds left to cut Nazareth’s lead to 29-27. But the Hilltoppers failed to get the two-point conversion.

The running attack kept the Hilltoppers close. Larry Stringham had 23 carries for 148 yards and Nate Magrini had 125 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

“We rallied together in the second half,” Joliet Catholic linebacker Daniel Rouse said. “It was unfortunate the way it ended but I had a lot of fun out there.”

Hilltoppers quarterback Lucas Simulick was 5-for-10 for 106 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

It’s the sixth state title for Nazareth and the 10th for Racki, who won six with Driscoll.

Joliet Catholic has 15 state titles. The Hilltoppers are one behind in the all-time race, trailing only Mount Carmel, which beat Batavia in the Class 7A state-title game.

"It was a good football game between two of the top programs in the state," Joliet Catholic coach Jake Jaworski said. We just came up two yards short."