Dierre Hill Jr. evades Corbyn Lynch during first quarter action of their Class 1A state title game on Friday. Hill went on to finish the game with a record-breaking seven TDs and 518 all-purpose yards.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
NORMAL - On a snowy and frigid November afternoon at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois, Althoff Catholic’s
Dierre Hill Jr. delivered one of the greatest performances in IHSA state football championship history. The senior running back shattered records en route to leading the Crusaders to a commanding 57-14 victory over Lena-Winslow in the Class 1A title game. Hill’s dynamic effort capped a perfect 14-0 season for Althoff, earning the program its fourth state championship and its first since 1990.
Hill, an Oregon commit, was unstoppable despite the subfreezing conditions. The “Real-Feel” temperature hovered at 7 degrees, with a steady northeasterly wind adding to the chill. Yet Hill ran with an intensity that Lena-Winslow’s defense simply could not contain. After being tackled for a loss on Althoff’s first possession, Hill responded with a string of electrifying plays, rushing for a staggering 436 yards on 32 carries and scoring seven total touchdowns. He also added 80 receiving yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception from sophomore quarterback Jayden Ellington.
Le-Win linemen Preston Shultz, Lucas Kempel, and Koby Kearns try to fight their way past Althoff linemen Logan Davis and Cam Golden. The Crusaders offensive unit help tally 630 yards in just 43 plays.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
"He is the best football player in the state of Illinois," Althoff head coach Austin Frazier said proudly. "He is again this year. I can't wait to see what things he will do at Oregon next year."
Hill’s seven touchdowns—a combination of six rushing and one receiving—were scored on runs of 59, 5, 65, 78, 7, and 49 yards, plus the long catch-and-run. His 436 rushing yards shattered the previous Class 1A championship record of 373 yards, and his 46 total points broke an all-class state title game record, surpassing the previous high of 36. Hill finished his senior season with 51 touchdowns, further solidifying his place in Illinois high school football lore.
"He was really shifty and a strong runner," said Lena-Winslow senior lineman Lucas Kempel. "We had a hard time bringing him down. He kind of ran all over us."
Crusaders' Dierre Hill Jr. runs over Panther Alec Schlichting during a play in the first quarter.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
While on the subject of Hill's ability to break tackles during the press conference, Panther head coach Ric Arand added later, "He's strong. He's shifty. He's the whole package."
Althoff’s victory was a complete team effort, but Hill’s performance was undeniably the focal point of the game. The Crusaders set a program record for most wins in a season and completed only the second undefeated campaign in school history, joining the 1990 team’s 13-0 run. With the IHSA success factor in play, Althoff’s victory also marked the end of its tenure in Class 1A, as the private school will move to Class 3A next season. Over the years, Althoff has competed in various classes, including 2A and 4A, and reached the finals in both. Notably, the Crusaders were 2A runners-up in 2012 and 4A runners-up in 2015.
While Hill and the offense dominated the headlines, Althoff’s defense delivered an equally impressive performance, holding Lena-Winslow to a season-low 14 points. The Panthers had averaged nearly 50 points per game in the postseason and entered the championship as one of the state’s most formidable offenses. However, the Crusaders’ defense rose to the occasion, limiting big plays and forcing the Panthers into difficult situations throughout the game. Drake Mosley led the defensive charge with 11 tackles, including nine solo stops. Charleston Coldon and Xavier Chapman also contributed heavily, making nine tackles each.
Bundled Althoff fans cheer for their team, braving the bitter wind and later savorying the sweet taste of victory with the team's first state title since 1990.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
"Coach Frazier has been preaching the entire year details, domination, and execution," said senior lineman Jason Dowell. "When we go out there we try to apply to apply those traits every single time. We worried about our details and try to major the minors."
Lena-Winslow, known for its punishing ground game, managed to score twice in the contest. The first came on a 4-yard run late in the first half, cutting Althoff’s lead to 28-6 after a missed extra point.
"We got behind early, but we responded. We had some series on offense where we had some thing going," Arand said. "Offensively, we did somethings. We just didn't finish. Defensively, there were times we played really well. When we didn't make a tackle, they made us pay for it."
The second was a 45-yard burst early in the second half that, combined with a successful two-point conversion, brought the Panthers within 28-14.
Panther Alec Schlichting is shoved out of bounds by Crusader Xavier Chapman. Schlichting was his team's leading rusher with 117 net yards on 22 touches.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
When it came to his effort to getting the ball down the field, Alex Schlicting said he had a couple of lanes at his disposal.
"They had speed on their side," said the junior running back who scored the Panthers' first touchdown, describing how quickly the Althoff defensive closed holes. "I think everyone did a good job opening up lanes everything."
Despite the brief surge, Althoff responded immediately, with Hill adding three more scores along with a 45-yard TD catch from Kylin Jordan to put the game out of reach and secure the Crusaders’ state title.
For Lena-Winslow, the loss marked the end of another stellar season. The Panthers finished 13-1, reaching the Class 1A championship game for the fourth consecutive year. Lena-Winslow remains one of Illinois’ most decorated high school football programs, with six state championships since 2010, including back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. However, the Panthers have now fallen short in the final two seasons, following a 14-0 loss to Camp Point Central in the 2022 title game.
Althoff's Jordan Wright and Lena-Winslow's Preston Shultz, both sophomore linemen whose combined mass total 527 pounds, battle at the line of scrimmage.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Six seniors on Lena-Winslow’s roster have the unique distinction of playing in a state championship game every year of their high school careers. They claimed victories in their freshman and sophomore seasons, contributing to the program’s legacy, but endured tough losses in their junior and senior years. For the first time in their championship history, the Panthers entered the game as underdogs against an Althoff team that boasted superior speed and offensive firepower. Despite their underdog status, Lena-Winslow fought hard but was unable to contain Hill’s historic effort.
The title game marked a fitting conclusion to an extraordinary season for Althoff, which not only claimed its fourth state championship but also demonstrated its dominance in a season where no opponent in Class 1A came close to matching its level of play.
"What a special year to be the only team in the state of Illinois to be undefeated," Frazier said at the beginning the postgame press conference. "With this collection of guys, I'm keenly aware of how talented we are and how athletic some of these guys are. They are very good football players.
"I'm fortunate because these guys are such great young men. They are going to be great students in college. They are going to grow up to be great husband and great fathers, and great contributors to society."
Senior Jason Dowell gets a congratulatory huge from a coach after his last high school football game.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
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Keywords:
Althoff Catholic football IHSA Class 1A championshipDierre Hill Jr. record-breaking game Illinois high school football IHSA football championships
