Fan Info for Lemont Indians' Trip to State Finals

Photo Credit: Peter Marzano

Lemont High School’s football program stayed perfect on the season and earned its third trip to the IHSA Class 6A State Finals thanks to a 32-25 win over host Peoria Notre Dame in an IHSA Class 6A Playoff game on Saturday, November 22. The Indians will face Nazareth Academy in the 2014 IHSA Class 6A State Championship game, which is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 29, at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Lemont High School’s Athletic Department has prepared information for Lemont fans as they gear up for the game.

TICKET PRESALE

Presale tickets will be available for purchase in the school’s PPS Office (located just inside the school’s main entrance off of Porter Street) until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, and from 8 a.m.-noon on Wednesday, November 26. Tickets are $10, and may be purchased with either cash or check. Tickets also may be purchased at the stadium on game day.

FAN BUS

Students who are interested in attending the state championship game but do not wish to drive may purchase a ticket for the fan bus. The cost of the bus is $15, and includes round-trip transportation and a ticket to the game. The bus is slated to leave from the school’s main entrance off of Porter Street at 10:30 a.m., and should return to campus at approximately 5:45 p.m. Students interested in taking the fan bus should obtain a form from the school’s PPS Office; that form must be returned to the school no later than noon on Wednesday, November 26.

TEAM SEND-OFF

The community is invited to help send the football team off to the IHSA State Finals on game day. The school will host a community send off at 7:20 a.m. outside of the entrance to the school’s Performing Arts Center off of Julia Street. After the short gathering, the team will depart at approximately 7:30 a.m., with the Lemont Police Department escorting the team out of town.

PREGAME TAILGATE

The Lemont High School Blue & Gold Backers will be hosting a tailgate party at the IHSA’s “Tent City” on the University of Illinois campus prior to the game. “Tent City” is located in the Red Grange Lot, at the corner of First Street and Kirby Avenue, west of Memorial Stadium. The main “Tent City” entertainment area will include free snacks, face painting, music and games. Lemont’s tent will be south of the main entertainment area.

From 9:30-11:30 a.m., the Blue & Gold Backers will be serving hot dogs, chips, desserts, hot drinks and soft drinks in the Lemont tent.

Any Lemont football supporters who are interested in donating an appetizer or dessert for the Lemont tailgate may drop off those items from at the school’s football concession stand from 6-6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 28.

No alcoholic beverages will be allowed in Memorial Stadium, any of the Memorial Stadium parking lots, or “Tent City.”

PARKING

All fans should park in Lot E-14, which is located southwest of Memorial Stadium. The lot is located along Kirby Avenue between Oak Street and First Street. Parking is $5 per car, or $10 per bus/RV.

WHAT TO WEAR?

Lemont will be serving as the home team in the IHSA Class 6A State Championship game. All Lemont fans are encouraged to wear navy blue to support the Indians!

GAME INFORMATION
Head coach Bret Kooi’s Indians - one of two No. 1 seeds in the geographically split south bracket - earned their first state championship berth since 2008 trip by outlasting Peoria Notre Dame, which was the south bracket’s other No. 1 seed and emtered the game on its own 12-game win streak. Lemont tied two school records with its 13th win of the season – most consecutive victories and most wins in a season.

The South Suburban Conference-Blue Division champion, Lemont will face Nazareth Academy in the IHSA Class 6A final. Head coach Tim Racki’s Roadrunners serve as the top seed in the north bracket; they won the East Suburban Catholic title during the regular season, and also enter the state title game with a 13-0 record. Nazareth Academy never had advanced past the quarterfinal round of the IHSA Playoffs prior to this season. Lemont, meanwhile, reached the semifinal round of the IHSA Playoffs four times in six years from 2007-12 under former coach (and current principal) Eric Michaelsen, and finished as the IHSA Class 6A Runner-Up in both 2007 and 2008.

Lemont and Nazareth Academy each feature high-powered offenses. Nazareth Academy averages 47.0 points per game and has scored at least 40 points in 10 of 13 contests this season. The Roadrunners have been especially potent during the IHSA Playoffs, averaging 52.8 points per game in four victories. In Kooi’s first year at the helm, Lemont’s offense has rewritten the school’s record book and averages 40.1 points per game. The difference in the game may come down to defense; Nazareth Academy allows 19.7 points per game, while Lemont has permitted opponents just 11.0 points per game and has limited six of 13 foes to seven points or fewer in 2014.

For more information, contact the school’s athletic department at (630) 243-3207.