Emmett Van Dellen couldn’t help but get emotional after Chicago Christian’s season ended on Oct. 23.
The Knights fell 44-20 at home against Prairie Central in the Class 3A opening round.
“These seniors were my best friends,” Van Dellen said. “After the handshake line, Harry Younker hugged Levi (Jager) and he said that he didn’t want this to end. That got me into tears. He said that’s my brother for life. We’re family and we’re close forever, but we’re never going to get this time back. … This senior class means so much to us.”
Like Van Dellen, Jager is a junior around whom Chicago Christian will build its team next season.
“This season means a lot to me,” Jager said. “Going into this season, we weren’t expected to go 5-4 (in the regular season). People were expecting us to be 3-6 and be the same old team, but I’m super proud of these seniors for showing up. I’m so excited to have one last run (next season) with my boys Emmett, Luke (Verstrate) and Luke Kracinski.
“Yeah, this has been one fun ride.”
The Knights (5-5) had trouble stopping Prairie Central’s triple option and fell behind by 24 at halftime.
“It can be hard to defend,” Knights coach CJ Cesario said. “But sometimes in the game of football, there are nights where there are young men who are just really ready to play and they’re eager to play.
“And when it comes time for the rubber to hit the road, the team that says ‘yes’ to that and just continually says ‘yes’ to that and they emotionally and mentally stay on top of it, and they don’t falter because there’s a bad play here and there, that is the team that grabs the momentum and stays out on top.
“Can the triple-option be difficult to defend? Yes, but I think there was more maturity that happened in the moment from their team (Friday) night and that overtook the game. That’s what I think happened.”
Prairie Central (5-5), seeded 18th in the 3A North bracket, went up 6-0 on its first possession when Wyatt Ault scored on a 5-yard TD run. The Hawks widened their lead to 14-0 on Collin Kilgus’ 46-yard punt return for a score.
The 15th-seeded Knights (5-5) drew to within 14-6 as Van Dellen scored on a 1-yard sneak. But Prairie Central’s Kinser Benjamin ran an interception back 31 yards for a TD for 22-6 lead.
Another turnover put Chicago Christian in an even more precarious position on the ensuing kickoff as the Hawks’ Kyler Meiss recovered a fumble at the Knights’ 34-yard line. On the final play of the first half, Kole Steidinger scored on a 4-yard run and Central led 30-6 at the half.
Both teams scored twice in the second half. The Knights had a 1-yard run by Jager and a 10-yard pass from Van Dellen (18 of 30 passing, 244 yards) to Jager (eight catches, 121 yards).