Mount Carmel Clinches 17th State Title with Dominant Performance Against Oswego
In a thrilling Class 8A championship game, Mount Carmel proved why it's one of the top high school football programs in the country. The Caravan defeated Oswego 20-3 at NIU's Huskie Stadium, capturing its 17th state title and completing a remarkable four-peat.
The Panthers' defense was the story of the day, stifling Mount Carmel's potent offense and holding them to just one touchdown in the first half. Junior Cullen Winters' blocked punt midway through the third quarter proved to be the turning point, allowing the Caravan to take control of the game. Gavin Conjar's 11-yard return for a touchdown put Mount Carmel ahead 14-3, and despite Oswego mounting a late comeback attempt, the Panthers were unable to overcome the deficit.
"We are going to get everyone's best game," Mount Carmel quarterback Emmett Dowling said in the post-game press conference. "They played us tough. We started off slow, but we finished strong."
The Caravan's offense struggled with the cold and windy weather, but Dowling remained confident in his team's abilities. "We are going to get everyone's best game," he repeated.
Senior Jamari Brown led Mount Carmel with seven catches for 56 yards, while senior Teddy Mannikas had four catches for 43 yards for Oswego. The Panthers' quarterback, Drew Kleinhans, was 10 for 29 for 107 yards with one interception.
Oswego coach Brian Cooney praised his team's defense, saying, "Holding at bay the size that they have was going to be something that we knew we had to deal with. Our guys are not afraid to lock horns with anyone."
For Mount Carmel, this victory marked a milestone in Jordan Lynch's tenure as head coach. This is the fifth state title for Mount Carmel since Lynch took over in 2019 and completes a remarkable four-peat. The Caravan won the Class 7A state title the last three seasons, and Loyola and Nazareth were both attempting to achieve similar success this season.
"We are proud of our team," Lynch said. "It's hard to win, and it's not common to do four in a row. But these guys put in a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and they deserve it all."
In a thrilling Class 8A championship game, Mount Carmel proved why it's one of the top high school football programs in the country. The Caravan defeated Oswego 20-3 at NIU's Huskie Stadium, capturing its 17th state title and completing a remarkable four-peat.
The Panthers' defense was the story of the day, stifling Mount Carmel's potent offense and holding them to just one touchdown in the first half. Junior Cullen Winters' blocked punt midway through the third quarter proved to be the turning point, allowing the Caravan to take control of the game. Gavin Conjar's 11-yard return for a touchdown put Mount Carmel ahead 14-3, and despite Oswego mounting a late comeback attempt, the Panthers were unable to overcome the deficit.
"We are going to get everyone's best game," Mount Carmel quarterback Emmett Dowling said in the post-game press conference. "They played us tough. We started off slow, but we finished strong."
The Caravan's offense struggled with the cold and windy weather, but Dowling remained confident in his team's abilities. "We are going to get everyone's best game," he repeated.
Senior Jamari Brown led Mount Carmel with seven catches for 56 yards, while senior Teddy Mannikas had four catches for 43 yards for Oswego. The Panthers' quarterback, Drew Kleinhans, was 10 for 29 for 107 yards with one interception.
Oswego coach Brian Cooney praised his team's defense, saying, "Holding at bay the size that they have was going to be something that we knew we had to deal with. Our guys are not afraid to lock horns with anyone."
For Mount Carmel, this victory marked a milestone in Jordan Lynch's tenure as head coach. This is the fifth state title for Mount Carmel since Lynch took over in 2019 and completes a remarkable four-peat. The Caravan won the Class 7A state title the last three seasons, and Loyola and Nazareth were both attempting to achieve similar success this season.
"We are proud of our team," Lynch said. "It's hard to win, and it's not common to do four in a row. But these guys put in a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and they deserve it all."
. Like, what's the point of having a championship game if you're just going to have to sit through a bunch of watered-down commercials and overpriced concessions? 
And don't even get me started on the weather - poor kids had to play in that freezing cold wind for like an hour 
. But hey, I guess it's cool that they got their 17th state title and all that... 
. coach jordan lynch must be so proud of his team! all that hard work paid off 
. It's not fair to say the Caravan just got everyone's best game, Emmett Dowling needs to step up his own performance 
. Jamari Brown had a solid game, but 56 yards is nothing special 
. And Drew Kleinhans' stats are kinda ugly 
. I'm all for celebrating wins, but let's be real, the Caravan didn't exactly face any super tough opponents this season 
! Reminds me of those old USC Trojans days under Pete Carroll - dominant performance and 17 state titles? That's just crazy talk! They must be putting in some serious sweat sessions to keep up that pace. You know what they say, "a four-peat is a rare breed" 
. I'm rooting for them all the way, hope Jordan Lynch keeps that winning streak going. It's not often you see teams finishing strong like this... almost as dominant as those '85 Bears 
. Its clear that these players and coaches have put in the work to get to this point. I'm rooting for them all the way! 
Anyway, Mount Carmel seems like they're really good at this whole football thing. They won this championship game 20-3, which sounds pretty easy 
. The best part is that their defense was on point, which means they were able to stop the other team from scoring a lot of points 
. It's cool that they got to celebrate another state title and make it four in a row - I guess all those hard practices paid off! 
and emmett dowling's quotes are literally the most relatable thing ever 
"we're gonna get everyone's best game"... sounds like a certain someone i know 
️ 
and jamari brown had some sick catches 
he guided his team to 5 state titles in 4 years, talk about a feat! 
the defense was on point 
. And Drew Kleinhans was throwing some solid passes for Oswego, I'm not surprised he had a decent game. Four-peat? That's crazy talk! Jordan Lynch must've done something right to lead them to this level. Anyway, congrats to the Caravan on another championship win 
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. I'm not surprised they won, though - four-peat is no joke. The Caravan's defense was on point, and their offense just had to deal with the weather conditions 
...not exactly the most ideal game conditions. Congrats to Mount Carmel, I suppose 
. And let's be real, the defense was the real MVP – they basically held Oswego's offense hostage. 
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. The team's hard work and sacrifice are definitely paying off. And Jamari Brown was unstoppable out there 
. Four-peat? That's unheard of! Jordan Lynch must be doing something right with his coaching methods 
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! I was on the edge of my seat when Cullen Winters blocked that punt in the third quarter - talk about turning the tide of the game 
I'm so happy for Mount Carmel, but that must've been super tough on Oswego 
They played with heart, though! 17 state titles is insane, btw 
and Drew Kleinhans, that interception was SO clutch 