DePaul Prep beats Coal City, completes a Cinderella run to the 4A state title game

DePaul Prep senior Michael Casper never expected to spend the Saturday before Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family, celebrating a trip to the Class 4A state championship game.

The Rams haven’t finished a season with more wins than losses since 2015. They won just four games last year.

“I knew we were going to have a great season but coming this far was definitely a stretch,” Casper, a senior defensive lineman, said.

The game came down to the final drive. Coal City had the ball and 2:32 seconds to tie or win the game. DePaul Prep’s defense stood strong. The Rams didn’t allow the host Coalers into the red zone and earned a 21-14 win in the Class 4A semifinals.

“That was definitely the top moment of my life right there,” Casper said. “I knew all my boys had my back and we could win that football game.”

DePaul Prep (10-3) took the lead on a nine-yard touchdown run by Nick Martinez with 6:42 to play. Martinez had 18 carries for 89 yards and two TDs.

Coal City (10-3) tied the game twice but never led.

“We are all brothers and we got together and put our hearts together,” Casper said. “We knew we had to get it done. We’d been dreaming of this moment for the past three years and the bond is there.”

DePaul Prep quarterback Juju Rodriguez was 12-for-15 for 213 yards. He connected with Matthew Osterman for a 28-yard TD with 3:22 left in the third quarter.

Osterman had three catches for 79 yards. Senior Braden Peevy caught six passes for 116 yards for the Rams.

Landin Benson led Coal City with 33 carries for 183 yards and two TDs. The Rams didn’t allow a big play. The Coalers’ longest run was 14 yards and the longest pass was 21 yards.

“We knew their run game was the focus so we tried to nail that down,” Casper said. “That made it tough for them to pass.”

DePaul Prep will play the winner of Saturday night’s Mt. Zion vs. Normal U-High semifinal in the Class 4A title game on Friday at ISU’s Hancock Stadium.