CHICAGO — The Wendell Phillips Academy football team was on the wrong side of history Friday night in Champaign.
Looking to become the only Chicago Public League club to ever win a football state title, the Wildcats (12-2) instead lost 49-28 to Rochester (12-2), which claimed its record fifth straight IHSA Class 4A championship at Memorial Stadium. It's the first time an Illinois public school has won five consecutive football titles in any class.
It was a humbling night for Phillips' defense, which had allowed only 58 points all season before Friday's finals. That included seven shutouts, six of which came during an 11-game winning streak that ended Friday.
After a quick Rochester score, first-team all-state quarterback DeWayne Collins rushed 65 yards for a touchdown. Phillips missed the extra point, and Rochester led 7-6. But the Rockets scored 10 unanswered points for a 17-6 advantage after one quarter.
Collins' 53-yard TD run with 2:33 left in the first half brought the Wildcats within 17-12. But Rochester answered with a long touchdown pass and subsequent two-point conversion for a 25-12 edge at halftime, which was muddled with 16 total penalties.
"Both teams seemed a little sloppy," Phillips coach Troy McAllister told Comcast SportsNet at halftime. "We moved the ball well, but we just shot ourselves in the foot with a couple bad penalties."
Rochester scored quickly in the third quarter to grab a 33-12 lead, and Phillips fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Two plays later, Rochester scored again to lead 39-12 and essentially ice the game.
Corey Warren had two touchdown runs for Phillips in the third quarter.
Warren had a team-high 189 rushing yards, while Collins rushed for 136 yards and threw for 51 yards. Amani Jones had 14 tackles, including several monster hits.
Dan Zeigler threw for 302 yards and three scores for Rochester. Evan Sembell rushed for 177 yards and two scores in the victory.
The IHSA football playoffs, which began in 1974, had seen only one other CPL squad reach the state finals. Robeson's 1982 club lost the Class 5A title to Rockford Guilford.
"It's almost impossible to believe with the talent and coaches that are in the city that there's never been a state champion," McAllister said Wednesday. "But when you see the resources that are available to many Public League schools, you see there's a problem.
"All these Catholic League and private schools have their own stadiums, and that's not the case with a lot of Public League teams. It's not an excuse — you have to overcome it — but it is a big disadvantage," he said.
Bronzeville-based Phillips, 244 E. Pershing Road, was founded in 1904 and became the city's first predominantly African-American high school. Famous alumni include entertainer Dinah Washington, historian Timuel Black, baseball star Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks.
"This place is Chicago history, with so many notable graduates over its 110-year-history, and it's important to the African-American community," Phillips athletic director John Byrne said last week.
In a statement Friday night, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said: "Congratulations to the Phillips Wildcats on a hard fought game and history-making season. These young men have achieved something over the course of this year which cannot be counted on a scoreboard. In defying great obstacles.
"They have defined what it is to be a great team, and they have developed the personal characteristics that will sustain them into the next season and — most importantly — throughout the rest of their lives. We applaud them on a great season and wish them well as they look forward to next year."
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