Chicago Mt. Carmel's Jack Elliott picks Batavia apart in Illinois state championship: Live updates recap

The Caravan get seven touchdowns (six passing) from their Vanderbilt-committed quarterback

Chicago Mt. Carmel QB Jack Elliott (Vanderbilt commit) leads the Caravan offense with his arm and his legs. / Photo by Tim Vizer, SBLive

Once again, Chicago Mt. Carmel is peaking at the right time of the season.

The Caravan head into the 2024 Class 7A Illinois high school football championship game looking for three state titles in a row.

Batavia is back in the state championship game after losing to Chicago Mt. Carmel in the 2022 final.

Vanderbilt QB commit Jack Elliott does it all for the Caravan, having thrown for 2,846 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 655 yards and another 16 TDs.

ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

Running back Nathan Whitwell leads the Batavia offense with 1,669 yards on the ground this season.

Follow along below for live updates from the Class 7A Illinois high school school football state championship game, which is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 30.

You can also watch Chicago Mt. Carmel vs. Batavia live on the NFHS Network (subscription required).

Chicago Mt. Carmel vs. Batavia, Class 7A championship game live updates

PREGAME

The East St. Louis-Geneva game started the fourth quarter just after 4 p.m., so this one is going to get off to a very late start (as will the 8A championship game).

Both teams are on the field warming up as East St. Louis celebrates its win.

1ST QUARTER

After a long delay, we are underway! Batavia kicks off to Mt. Carmel, which starts the opening drive on its own 30.

Big run for a first down on third and long by QB Jack Elliott. Mt. Carmel on its own 49.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL! The Caravan get tricky on a reverse flea flicker, and Jack Elliott hits a wide-open Zander Gorman for a 29-yard TD. It's 7-0 Mt. Carmel after an impressive opening drive. 10:03 left.

FUMBLE! Batavia muffs the kickoff and Mt. Carmel is on offense again on the Batavia 19. Tavares Harrington got the recovery.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL! Another flea flicker, but this time Jack Elliott elects to keep it himself and scampers into the end zone for a 24-yard TD. It's 14-0 Caravan. 9:31 left.

First and goal at the 9 for Batavia.

TOUCHDOWN BATAVIA! Greyson Kelly runs for a 4-yard TD and it's 14-7 Mt. Carmel with 5:25 left.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL! Incredible 82-yard kickoff return complete with an unreal spin move by Le'Javier Payne and just like that the lead is back to 14. It's 21-7 Mt. Carmel with 5:12 left.

TOUCHDOWN BATAVIA! Bulldogs strike right back with a 26-yard TD catch by Brett Berggren from Michael Vander Luitgaren and it's 21-14 Mt. Carmel. A 32-yard catch by Greyson Kelly set it up.

END OF 1ST QUARTER: Mt. Carmel 21, Batavia 14

2ND QUARTER

Mt. Carmel starts with the ball on its own 35.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL! Jack Elliott evades pressure and fires a 22-yard strike on fourth and long to Cooper Lehman to make it 28-14 Caravan. A 46-yard Elliott-to-Lehman connection set it up. 9:56 left.

TOUCHDOWN BATAVIA! Nathan Whitwell powers in from a yard out to make it 28-21 Mt. Carmel. 5:14 left.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL! Jack Elliott once again evades pressure and throws low to where only his guy can catch it. We're at 35-21 Mt. Carmel after that 7-yard TD catch by Quentin Burrell. 3:50 left.

Unbelievable catch by Batavia's Jake Mysliwiec gets nullified by a penalty. Would have been SportsCenter-worthy. And then a huge sack by Matt Mucha on the next play.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL! That turned around quickly. Jack Elliott fires a 33-yard dime to Quentin Burrell with less than a minute till halftime. It's 42-21 Caravan.

INTERCEPTION! Mt. Carmel picks it off in the end zone. Le'Javier Payne made the play.

HALFTIME: Mt. Carmel 42, Batavia 21

3RD QUARTER

Mt. Carmel recovers the onside kick but it's nullified by a penalty, and the Caravan rekick. Batavia starts the second half on its own 6 after the Bulldogs commit a personal foul.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL: Jack Elliott hits Stephen Winkler for a 17-yard touchdown, but the two-point conversion is no good, making it 48-21 Caravan with 6:10 left. That's five TD passes for Elliott.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Batavia goes for it on fourth and 24 and falls well short. Mt. Carmel ball on its own 24 as the fourth quarter nears.

END OF 3RD QUARTER: Mt. Carmel 48, Batavia 21

4TH QUARTER

INTERCEPTION! Mt. Carmel tries a trick play with a running-back pass near the goal line and it backfires. Chase Osborne gets the pick and it's Batavia ball on its own 20, trailing 48-21.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Fourth-down pass falls incomplete and it's Mt. Carmel ball on the Batavia 30. 5:23 left.

TOUCHDOWN MT. CARMEL! Jack Elliott throws his sixth TD pass, this one for 15 yards to Danyil Taylor. 55-21 Caravan with 4:10 left.

TOUCHDOWN BATAVIA! This game might never end. Michael Vander Luitgaren finds Brett Berggren from 45 yards out on fourth and 22, cutting Mt. Carmel's lead to 55-28. 2:54 left.

TOUCHDOWN BATAVIA! I mean it really might never end. After recovering an onside kick, Vander Luitgaren hits Berggren again, this time for a 49-yard TD and it's 55-34 with 2:36 left.

FINAL: Mt. Carmel 55, Batavia 34

More Illinois high school football news

Illinois (IHSA) high school football playoffs: 2024 brackets, state championship matchups, game times

Dierre Hill, Oregon Ducks commit, racks up 518 yards, 7 touchdowns in state championship win

Top 25 Illinois High School Football Rankings (11/27/2024)

Best college football prospects still playing for state championships in 2024 high school playoffs

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports