IHSA state football championships: 7A and 8A Scores and top performers

The final day of Illinois high school football has played out.

After postponing the final day of IHSA football into December, Mt. Carmel and Brother Rice claimed the final two state titles to close the season.

Here are the final scores and top performers from the Class 7A and 8A state championship games from Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

IHSA State Championships: 7A and 8A title games

7A: Brother Rice 16, St. Rita 0

For the first time since 1981, Brother Rice has won a state championship.

They left little doubt with a defensive performance that limited St. Rita to just 160 total yards, 2.6 yards per play and just two third down conversions on 14 attempts.

Brother Rice led 9-0 at the end of the first quarter thanks to quarterback CJ Gray leading the charge right out of the game. He rushed for 80 yards and a score on the first drive, which was enough to win the game behind a staunch defense. St. Rita had four drives finish in Brother Rice territory; three of those four ended in turnover on downs and the other was a missed field goal.

7A Top Performer: Brother Rice DE Kameron McGee & DL Brayden Parks

Brother Rice's defensive performance started in the trenches, and the combo of McGee and Parks led the way.

McGee was dominant as a pass rusher from the edges, recording two sacks and four tackles for loss in a shutout performance.

Parks turned in his own dominance from the interior of the defensive line. He recorded three tackles for loss and three pass break-ups as a defensive tackle, showing why he's one of the highest-rated defensive tackles in the country.

8A: Mt. Carmel 20, Oswego 3

The Caravan have their 17th state title.

Utilizing a suffocating defense, Mt. Carmel held Oswego to just 143 yards of total offense. The Panthers threatened Mt. Carmel three times. The Caravan limited the Panthers to a field goal. the other two times, they forced a turnover on downs and snagged an interception.

Cullen Winters blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown, and Emmett Dowling's four-yard touchdown pass to Marshaun Thornton in the fourth quarter iced the game.

8A Top Performer: Mt. Carmel LB Roman Igwebuike & FS Cullen Winters

In a defensive showcase, two defensive players earned praise.

Winters was responsible for the blocked punt returned for a score, but he also finished the game with two forced fumbles, a tackle for loss and six total tackles. Igwebuike grabbed an interception for Mt. Carmel that ended an Oswego scoring threat at the Caravan 22-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter.