The fourth quarter finally quieted the Prospect crowd, and by then Hersey had already done enough.
On a cold October night in Mount Prospect, the Huskies outlasted the Knights 48-35 in a showdown of unbeaten Mid-Suburban (East) Conference rivals. Hersey moved to 9-0, finished the regular season as conference champions for the second year in a row, and handed Prospect its first loss at 8-1.
The difference came from a one-two punch Prospect never really solved. Junior running back Jackson Travis piled up 310 rushing yards and scored three times, while senior quarterback Jake Nawrot, a Kentucky commit, went 21-for-25 for 343 yards, threw three touchdowns and added another on the ground.
Travis did the heavy lifting late when the game was still hanging around. After Prospect trimmed the margin to 41-28 with 9:02 left, he ripped off carries of 19, 14 and 11 yards in a row, dragging extra defenders with him each time. He capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run that pushed Hersey back in front by three scores and effectively shut the door.
“I like hitting,” Travis said after embracing the physical side of the matchup.
He also gave credit to the offensive line for setting up the big gains that kept the Huskies in control all night.
Hersey set the tone immediately by taking the ball first and attacking through the air. Nawrot opened the scoring with a 54-yard touchdown strike to Josh Riggs on a corner route, beating a one-on-one matchup. Riggs finished with six catches for 107 yards, and Dom Wentink added a 49-yard touchdown grab as Hersey stretched the field.
“That set the tone. We showed we were ready to go all four quarters.” Nawrot said.
Nawrot said he had his mind made up on the opening touchdown before the ball was even snapped.
“I liked the matchup, I trusted [riggs] there and he made a play.”
Prospect quarterback Jackson Cacini kept his team alive with a strong night of his own, going 25-for-39 for 272 yards and four touchdowns. After Hersey went into halftime up 20-7, the Knights cut the lead to 20-14 just 38 seconds into the third quarter.
Hersey answered almost immediately. Travis broke free for a 59-yard touchdown run 1:58 later, and the Huskies kept rolling from there. They scored two more times and strung together 21 straight points to build a 41-14 lead.
Coach Tom Nelson said the Huskies were comfortable leaning on whichever part of the offense the defense gave them.
“Our offense in general is a balanced attack,” Nelson said. “They want to play the pass, we’re gonna run the ball.
We'll do either. We don’t care.”
That balance showed up all over Friday night. Nawrot’s passing forced Prospect to respect the receivers and stay back to prevent the "home run ball," and Travis punished the Knights when Hersey shifted into the run game.
Prospect made one more push through its seniors. Matthew Donnelly scored on a 3-yard run, and Gordon Kemo added a 15-yard touchdown catch to help bring the Knights within 41-28. After Travis answered again, Prospect scored once more to make it 48-35, but Hersey recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.
For both teams, it was the kind of late-season test that can sharpen a group heading into the playoffs. Hersey handled the pressure on the road, in a loud environment, against an unbeaten opponent that kept coming after the break.
“It’s just great for our kids to execute in these situations on the road, for some really good football teams,” Nelson said.
Nawrot said the Huskies knew momentum had to stay on their side once Prospect began to rally.
“When you have that momentum, you have that lead, you cannot give anything back,” Nawrot said. “You got to just keep your foot on the gas, all game.”
Both teams now wait for postseason positioning. After Saturday’s games are complete, the IHSA will release seedings and matchups beginning at 9 p.m.
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