In his first season, coach CJ Cesario has helped Chicago Christian make some history.
With a 24-14 victory at Tri-Valley on Nov. 9 in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs, the Knights are in the quarterfinals for just the second time in program history.
The Knights’ other quarterfinal berth came in 2007 in Class 4A.
Chicago Christian (10-1) hosts Bismarck-Henning (11-0) on Saturday with a semifinal berth on the line. Kickoff will be at 5 p.m.
“Our school has been so eagerly awaiting an opportunity to celebrate one of our teams excelling at that level,” Cesario said. “Our people have been craving something to get behind at that level.
“This has brought a life and a resurgence to our people.”
Also experiencing a resurgence is quarterback/cornerback Christian Flutman. Flutman scored on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter, threw a 4-yard TD pass to Ed VanDellen at 1:17 of the second quarter that gave the Knights a 9-7 advantage and also intercepted a pass.
The interception was Flutman’s seventh of the season, a program record.
“Christian has a bold confidence for the first time in his career,” Cesario said. “To have that blossom is so wonderful to see. You can see that confidence is a propelling factor for how he’s performed this season. That’s why we’ve had so much success.
“He can absolutely fly when he puts his foot in the ground. And the best parts of his throwing are the pre-snap decisions to know where to throw the ball. He doesn’t have a cannon arm, but he can make any throw because he has timing and can anticipate where our receivers will be.”
Along with Flutman, Kenny Jager also was a significant contributor for Chicago Christian. Jager’s 4-yard TD run in the third quarter erased a 14-9 halftime deficit and also tied the Knights’ single-season mark with 23 rushing touchdowns.
“Kenny has been our thoroughbred this season,” Cesario said. “He took a beating, but he stayed in the game on both sides of the ball.
“He picked up four first downs in the last five minutes of the game and he did what a champion does.”
Chicago Christian also had a 20-yard field goal from Jared Hall at 1:23 of the first quarter, giving the Knights a 3-0 lead.
“This was really a hard-fought battle,” Cesario said. “Tri-Valley is a very good football program. They’re a physical program and they’re going to try to ‘out-physical’ you. They’re tough to stop for a full game.
“The game was back and forth, but we stopped their running game in the second half. They didn’t score a point. This was really a tough game and I’m proud of our guys.”