Loyola has ended Lincoln-Way East’s last three seasons. The Ramblers defeated the Griffins in the Class 8A championship game the last two years and beat them in the quarterfinals in 2021.
It might not be a stretch to say Lincoln-Way East defensive end Caden O’Rourke, one of the most disruptive and talented players in the state, has the Ramblers on his mind daily.
‘‘It has definitely created a hatred toward Loyola a little bit,’’ O’Rourke said. ‘‘But it has pushed me further than I thought I could go. For so many practices, the thought of losing those games has motivated me to push myself harder and to push the team harder.’’
Lincoln-Way East, the No. 2 team in the preseason Super 25, added quarterback Jonas Williams in the offseason. The transfer from Bolingbrook is the top-ranked junior in the state and the No. 8 quarterback in the nation. He has thrown for more than 6,000 yards in his career.
‘‘I’ve been working on my anticipation and timing with these guys and learning the playbook,’’ Williams said. ‘‘I’m treated the same as anyone else, and I think that is a testament to why Lincoln-Way East has been so successful.’’
This might be the most talented team coach Rob Zvonar has had with the Griffins. He’s the only coach in the history of the program and has three state titles and six title-game appearances.
‘‘We’ve always had one or two big-time recruits sprinkled in, but we’ve been a small-college feeder program, for the most part,’’ Zvonar said. ‘‘You can be a really good high school team with those guys. But now we have five or six guys with FBS scholarships or offers.’’
Williams recently committed to Oregon. Running back Zion Gist (Western Michigan), O’Rourke (Northwestern) and Zvonar’s son Trey (Miami of Ohio) also have committed. Defensive lineman Jacob Alexander has more than a dozen major-college offers.
‘‘I’ve been real proud of our offensive line,’’ Zvonar said. ‘‘It’s a little bit of a no-name group. There are some unsung heroes I am very impressed with. Our receiver corps is deep and talented, as well.’’
Williams’ favorite targets should be senior receivers Talan White, MJ Schley and Christian Remblake.
Zvonar has two other sons on the team. Senior Tyson and sophomore Colton are linebackers.
‘‘I’m trying to enjoy the moment as much as I can as a coach and a dad a little bit,’’ Zvonar said. ‘‘It’s been special so far. I try and enjoy each day because these moments are fleeting.’’
Loyola’s history of success against the Griffins give it the edge in the preseason rankings. Still, in terms of talent and coaching, the teams are a toss-up. And Lincoln-Way East might have the mental edge this season.
‘‘It’s good to still have that chip on your shoulder,’’ Trey Zvonar said. ‘‘We went 13-1, and it felt like we went 0-14 because of that one loss. We have one more shot to do it, and that is a big deal for us.’’
The Griffins had planned to head to East St. Louis to face a team from Florida in Week 2. But after Williams committed to Oregon, that team pulled out of the game. Lincoln-Way East doesn’t have a Week 2 game right now.
Zvonar said he was waiting to hear about a couple of possible foes, but he wasn’t too hopeful.
