For Oswego’s Graham Schwab, this weekend’s big game in Normal is going to have multiple layers. More than a Class 8A state championship trophy will be on the line for the junior fullback.
Neighborhood bragging rights will also be at stake when Schwab takes the field for the Panthers, with junior cornerback Isaac Saldana lining up on the opposite side of the ball for Mount Carmel.
“Obviously, it’s gonna be a tough game,” Schwab said. “Isaac has been one of my friends since elementary school and we still live pretty close to each other.”
Schwab, junior safety Dontrell Young, sophomore running back Ammar Banire — all now playing for Oswego — and Saldana were a close-knit group at Thompson Junior High.
That’s when the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Schwab, who also plays basketball and baseball at Oswego, started up with football.
“Isaac went to (Wheaton) St. Francis freshman and sophomore years and transferred to Mount Carmel for this year,” Schwab said. “He and I golf together sometimes and we still talk pretty frequently.”
Over the past few weeks, as both teams headed toward a possible matchup in the final game of the season, those conversations and texts picked up.
When the teams meet at 7 p.m. Saturday at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium, Mount Carmel will be aiming for its 17th state championship in football. The Caravan have been bumped up a class after winning the last three Class 7A titles.
Everyone expected Mount Carmel (13-0) to be there. Not many thought Oswego (11-2) would be.
The Panthers have won two state championships, and current coach Brian Cooney had a hand in both. He was a senior linebacker on the 1992 team that won the 4A title, and in 2003 when Oswego won again in 7A, Cooney was on the staff of former coach Karl Hoinkes.
Cooney confirmed this team for Oswego reminds him of his championship team as a player.
“The year before, we reached the semifinals and lost to Providence,” Cooney said. “Everyone thought that 1991 team, with more D-I kids on it, was supposed to play for the title.
“We thought last year we had the players to make a run, but these kids this year decided that was good but they’re gonna do it this year.”
Schwab pointed out that he thinks the team’s bond this season is better and made it easier to bounce back from close losses to Yorkville and Minooka.
As for playing against Saldana, “it’s going to be fun,” according to Schwab.
“He’s on defense, I’m on offense,” Schwab said. “We’re gonna be lined up across from each other. I can’t ever remember ever trying to block him, but I’m about to.”
Last week, Schwab delivered a key block on a Lockport cornerback to spring Banire for a 63-yard touchdown run, one of two key plays that led to Oswego’s 10-7 victory.
A 42-yard field goal by senior kicker Kaleb Stumpenhorst clinched the win.
Schwab, meanwhile, is third on the team in rushing and receiving with 93 carries for 435 yards and 14 catches for 110 yards. He had 16 carries for 104 yards against Plainfield South in Week 4.
Soon after, Schwab moved to fullback to free up opportunities for Banire.
“We had to get him on the field,” Schwab said. “You could see he was going to help the team.”
The same can be said for Schwab. Cooney called him an excellent utility player.
“We’re comfortable with the ball in Graham’s hands,” Cooney said. “He still plays tailback and runs the ball. In fact, when we could not have a fumble late against Maine South in the quarterfinal, he was the kid who got the ball. We rely on him to do a lot.”
Senior Dekker Zelensek starts at tailback. Schwab’s move gets all of three on the field.
“I’ll block for my guys and get them into the end zone,” Schwab said. “That’s fine with me as long as we’re winning games. We have been, so it’s perfect.”