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The Prospect crowd fell uncharacteristically quiet in the fourth quarter as Hersey closed out a dramatic East-division matchup, handing the Knights their first loss and clinching back-to-back conference titles. The outcome reshapes momentum heading into playoff seeding and underscored why Hersey’s balanced attack is a matchup problem for opponents.
On a chilly October evening in Mount Prospect, Hersey’s junior running back Jackson Travis turned the game into his showcase, answering Prospect’s midgame rally with a physical, downhill running performance that proved decisive.
Travis and Nawrot carry Hersey
When Prospect trimmed the deficit to 41-28 with 9:02 left, the Knights looked poised to mount a comeback. Instead, Travis ripped off a string of heavy, productive rushes — gains of 19, 14 and 11 yards on consecutive attempts — repeatedly dragging defenders into the pile and rising up first each time.
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The next snap produced an 11-yard touchdown that pushed Hersey’s lead back to three scores and effectively sealed a 48-35 final. Travis finished the night with a career-defining 310 rushing yards.
Senior quarterback Jake Nawrot, a Kentucky recruit, orchestrated the passing game with surgical accuracy: 21-of-25 for 343 yards, four touchdown passes and one rushing score. His ability to stretch the field kept Prospect’s defense honest and opened lanes for Travis.
- Final score: Hersey 48, Prospect 35
- Jackson Travis: 310 rushing yards, multiple TDs
- Jake Nawrot: 21-25, 343 yards, 4 passing TDs (+1 rushing TD)
- Josh Riggs: 6 catches, 107 yards
- Dom Wentink: 49-yard touchdown reception
“If I can get contact, I’ll take it. I like hitting,” Travis said after the game, highlighting his physical mindset. He also credited the offensive line for carving holes that turned routine plays into long gains.
How the game unfolded
Hersey struck early through the air, with Nawrot connecting deep to Josh Riggs on a 54-yard corner route that set the tone. The Huskies built a lead before halftime, and early in the third Travis answered Prospect’s quick score with a 59-yard touchdown burst that ignited a 21-point Hersey run.
Prospect refused to fade. Quarterback Jackson Cacini completed 25 of 39 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns, and seniors Matthew Donnelly and Gordon Kemo sparked the late rally — Donnelly with a short rushing TD, Kemo with a 15-yard scoring catch.
That surge cut the margin to 41-28, but Hersey’s fourth-quarter drive, finished by Travis’ second touchdown of the night, restored a multi-possession advantage. Prospect added a late score to make it 48-35, but Hersey recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.
Why this matters now
The victory secures Hersey as Mid-Suburban (East) champions for the second straight season and preserves an undefeated regular-season record at 9-0. Prospect falls to 8-1 and will head into the postseason looking to convert this loss into motivation.
Coach Tom Nelson emphasized the team’s flexibility: “Our offense in general is a balanced attack. They want to play the pass, we’re gonna run the ball. We’ll do either. We don’t care.” Nawrot added that once the momentum swung, the Huskies were determined not to surrender it. “When you have that momentum, you have that lead, you cannot give anything back,” he said. “You got to just keep your foot on the gas, all game.”
Both programs now await official postseason seedings. The Illinois High School Association will release region and statewide pairings at 9 p.m. after Saturday’s games, a bracket update that will determine matchups and travel for the opening round.
The game offered a late-season template for both teams: Hersey demonstrated how an adaptable offense can blunt rallies, while Prospect showed the depth and firepower that will keep it dangerous in the playoffs.
