The Simeon Wolverines finished the season on a positive note after clinching their 11th Chicago Public League Championship title over the weekend.
The relentless Wolverines defeated the Morgan Park Mustangs 30-16 to win the 2019 Chicago Public League Championship. The Wolverines were led by the superb running attack of running back Chau Smith, who completed his championship run with two touchdowns, 22 carries for 209 yards throughout the game.
Smith finished with touchdown runs of seven and 26 yards for the evening. “We knew what type of game this would be,” said Dante Culbreath, head coach of the Wolverines. “We pushed the offensive line this week and they stepped up.”
Culbreath said that after losing to Prairie Ridge High School 49-0 in the state playoffs and nearly losing their season to the CPS teachers’ strike earlier in the month, the Wolverines fought hard to earn their school’s 11th city championship.
This one was really special for the Wolverines due to circumstances, as the team overcame adversity to beat Curie in the city playoffs last week and also defeated arch-rivals Morgan Park 30-16 in the Public League championship game on Friday night [November 22] at Gately Stadium. This game is known in Chicago neighborhoods as “The Battle of Vincennes.” And on that night, the two teams came together to play the “Super Bowl” version of that event.
The “Battle of Vincennes” is often the biggest CPS high school game of the season. The two archrivals, located 4.5 miles apart on Vincennes Avenue, are often among the top-ranked in the state. “It’s an amazing feeling,” Simeon senior lineman Khalyl Warren said. “We have been through our ups and downs but we are still a family and we know how to pull back together.”
Final Score: Simeon 30, Morgan Park 16.
Chicago Crusader Newspaper MVP: RB Chau Smith, Simeon, 22 carries, 209 yards, and 2 TD’s.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
