Five more to go.

Maine South junior wide receiver Emerson De La Cruz made countless big plays throughout the season.

In Saturday night’s flag football state championship game at Willowbrook, De La Cruz saved her best move for the postgame.

Senior quarterback Aribella Spandiary passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 57 yards and a TD to power Maine South to a 28-6 rout over Young in the state title game. The Hawks (26-3) led 13-0 at halftime and scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to ice the victory for the program’s first state title.

As the IHSA official stepped forward to hand the state championship trophy to the Hawks, De La Cruz gladly accepted the coveted prize. Standing in front of her teammates, De La Cruz grabbed the trophy, lifted the hardware and celebrated

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