| JCA's unsung heroes step up in title march |
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Whatever it takes: Sallese, Brown, Ziesmer, Benson grab share of spotlight
Dick Goss Joliet Herald News
Like every state champion, the Joliet Catholic Academy football team had its share of stars this season.
Jim Jadron, Bobby Buchanan, Brad Bourg, Chris Jeske, Jake Trader, Andrew Kolodziej, Erik Madsen ... the list is virtually endless.
But in the final analysis, what allowed the Hilltoppers to win state title No. 11 Saturday, 24-21 over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in the Class 5A final, was the same element that played into every victory this season.
This was a team.
Sacred Heart-Griffin will not soon forget 6-foot, 190-pound senior Joe Sallese and 6-4, 225-pound junior Tim Brown. They are offensive ends, tight ends, but they do not often figure prominently in the passing game.
So be it. Whatever it takes to play for a champion.
Early in last weekend's semifinal game at LaSalle-Peru, Sallese caught a 33-yard bomb over the middle from Bourg to help jump-start the Hilltoppers' 56-7 victory. On Saturday, his 33-yard grab of another long Bourg pass over the middle came on third-and-9 from the JCA 13 on the first possession of the third quarter.
What could have been a three-and-out and an invitation to Sacred Heart-Griffin to crawl right back into the game — the Cyclones were trailing 10-0, and the Hilltoppers would have had to punt into the stiff wind — instead served as the catalyst for an 88-yard touchdown drive that made it 17-0.
"We were deep in our end of the field and we needed that," Sallese said. "We anticipated the safeties coming up to play the run. It was a good call on our coaches' part."
Sallese, who finishes the season with 6 catches for 110 yards, was happy to get his hands on the ball on a couple of long plays the last two weeks. But he understands his role is to block first and foremost. Ditto for Brown, whose blocking is so impressive that he was an All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection.
"That's not really expected that I would be thrown to," Sallese said. "I just do my part, and if I catch one now and then, all the better.
"All of us did whatever it took to get here. This is a really special feeling, one I can't even begin to describe."
Brown's contributions Saturday, in addition to his usual outstanding blocking, came in the form of 2 receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown, giving him 6 receptions for 91 yards for the season.
On JCA's drive to a field goal for the first score of the game, he caught an 11-yard sideline pass from Bourg that was well executed on both ends. Then in the fourth quarter, he completed what could be considered the game-winning play, a 15-yard TD catch from holder Bill McKeon on a fake field goal, giving JCA a 24-7 lead.
"That's very unusual," Brown said with a smile. "That was my first TD ever. I was wide open. After Bill got me the ball, I just wanted to lower my shoulder and try to get in the end zone.
"I love blocking, but catching the ball is good, too. The coaches called a great play."
McKeon said his first option was to run himself, but that was not available. Next he looked at Sallese, who Brown said ran a "flag out."
Brown was the next option. "I ran a crossing pattern and nobody was on me," he said.
"Tim is more of a lineman than anything," McKeon said. "He always says it doesn't matter to him if he just blocks, but you could tell he wanted to catch the ball and score the touchdown for his family."
If Sallese and Brown labored in obscurity for a high-powered offensive unit this season, the same goes for guards Jake Ziesmer and John Anastopoulos and center A.J. Tomich, along with long snapper Dane Thayer. Tackles Jadron and Madsen were the "names" in the offensive line, and understandably so. But the manner in which the line became one, under the tutelage of assistant coach Dave Douglas, was a sight to behold.
"Except for Madsen and Jadron, everybody was a guard early on," said Ziesmer, who wears No. 59 and was thrilled to help his dad, Terry, celebrate his 59th birthday Saturday. "Then Tomich moved to center, and he did a great job there. The five of us in the line, we got so close to (the Hilltoppers' backfield of) Bourg and Billy (McKeon) and (Chris) Clancy and (Kurt) Kleeman."
On Saturday, Ziesmer recovered a late onside kick to end Sacred Heart-Griffin's hopes of stealing the state championship.
Kleeman, the fullback, was an unsung hero all season with his devastating blocking. He played a lot Saturday, albeit with a cast on his right hand, compliments of a broken bone in a finger suffered a week ago at LaSalle-Peru.
The cast prevented Kleeman from carrying the ball in the title game. So when coach Dan Sharp needed to get the fullback involved in that capacity, up stepped sophomore Joe Benson, a member of the sophomore team this entire season.
"I think I've found a fullback," Sharp said with a wide smile.
Benson carried 8 times for 41 yards, including runs of 9 and 5 yards in the first-quarter drive that ended in JCA's first touchdown and a 10-0 lead. He moved the pile before going down more than once.
"Coach thought we could have some success with inside carries, and I got called on to do the job," Benson said. "I never expected this.
"But Kurt (Kleeman) took me under his wing this week at practice. He knows the entire offense, and he really helped me.
"Everybody on this team, in this program, has great chemistry."
McKeon is a sophomore who has spent the season on the varsity. In fact, he finished with 962 rushing yards and threw 3 touchdown passes to boot.
He is well aware of Benson's talents.
"Joe Benson runs hard all the time," McKeon said. "He and I have gone back and forth in all three sports, practically since we were babies. Except for being on the same summer baseball team, this is really the first time we've been together on a team. It's great."
Sallese, Brown, Ziesmer, Benson ... the list of champions on this championship team goes on and on.
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