Defense has been the bedrock that led Oswego to the Class 8A state championship game, but junior cornerback Quinten Jackson Jr. knew Mount Carmel posed a different challenge.
Quentin Burrell and Marshaun Thornton are both highly sought-after receivers by college coaches, putting up massive numbers this season for the powerhouse Caravan.
Jackson, however, wasn’t intimidated.
“A lot of doubt was on us,” Jackson said of the Panthers. “It got us into a better mindset. The recruiting part, all the Division I players on the team, it didn’t stop us from doing our thing.”
Oswego got down to business defensively Wednesday night, allowing only 113 yards of offense by the 10:04 mark of the fourth quarter. Mount Carmel then added a touchdown and put the 20-3 win on ice at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.
Jackson and Co. held Burrell, one of the top juniors in the state, to two catches and 31 yards for Mount Carmel (14-0). Thornton, one of the top sophomores in the state, added two catches for 14 yards.
Kaleb Stumpenhorst would give Oswego (11-3) its only lead at 3-0 with 2:14 left in the first quarter on a 38-yard field goal. Junior quarterback Drew Kleinhans threw for 108 yards and ran for 23.
Oswego coach Brian Cooney realized the defense was going to face a stiff challenge against a team loaded with Division I talent, but he had watched his group answer the bell all season.
“I was really proud of the defense,” Cooney said. “I have been all year. Their stats speak for themselves. The size they have and the multiple threats and the coaches do a good job putting you in conflict.
“It was something that we knew we had to deal with.”
Senior Mariano Velasco, one of the Panthers’ other cornerbacks, tried to remind himself that — at the end of the day — the teams were filled with high school kids. And the Panthers went to work.
“They have a lot of talent on that side of the ball,” Velasco said. “We knew they were the same age as us, get up just like us. We have a lot of talent on our team as well and we’ve been showing that.
“We were playing Division I talent every week.”
The defense set the tone early Wednesday. Conor Tully came through with two big tackles as Oswego forced a three-and-out on Mount Carmel’s first drive.
“We knew what we could do to stop them and we just executed,” Tully said. “I think the first two stops had us flying high. Our defense after those first few possessions knew we could stop them.”
The big offensive play of the first half for Oswego was a 47-yard pass from Kleinhans to Velasco, but the Panthers didn’t get any points out of it as Mount Carmel grabbed a 6-3 halftime lead.
Having faced adversity throughout the playoffs, Oswego was unfazed by the deficit.
“I see this as a second season,” Cooney said. “We were in conflict in every single one of those games and our kids found a way.”
Mount Carmel got the break instead as Cullen Winters blocked a punt and Gavin Conjar returned it a TD for a 14-3 lead in the third quarter. Emmett Dowling then hit Thornton with 2:43 left in the fourth.
For a team used to scoring at will, Dowling walked away impressed by Oswego’s defense.
“Every team in the playoffs, we’re going to get their best effort,” Dowling said. “They played us tough. We couldn’t move the ball, really. It was cold, but they definitely came to play.”
Despite the loss, the Panthers proved how good their defense was.
“It just showed what we can do as a team,” Jackson said. “I think we deserve a lot of respect. We had a good mindset going into the game. This group is amazing.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.