After the state of Illinois wrapped up its spring season last weekend, there is only one future Wildcat still playing: 2021 tight end signee Lawson Albright of Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley.

But he played in a game that had enough drama for the whole Northwestern class.

The Whirlies (9-0) trailed 14-7 at the half and 21-7 halfway through the third quarter, but they stunned Matthews (N.C.) Butler with two long touchdown passes, including a 49-yarder with just 14 seconds left to play, to pull out a stunning 28-21 victory.

The win gave the Whirlies the regional title and earned them a berth in the state championship game on Friday night. Ironically, Grimsley will be taking on Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons, the alma mater of fellow 2021 signee Jacob Gill, who won't be playing because he enrolled early at Northwestern in January and just completed spring practice last week.

While Albright didn’t have a big game offensively, he had an impact as a defensive lineman, as Grimsley coach Darryl Brown decided to use one of his best players on both sides of the ball to counter Butler’s strong running game.

It didn't look like Grimsley would play for the state title until quarterback Alonza Barnett took over late in the game.

First, Barnett hit Tyson Resper for a 58-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 21 with 6:26 left in the third quarter.

That's the way the score stayed until Butler made a big mistake, trying a fake punt at midfield with 30 seconds left. The attempt failed and gave Grimsley the ball at the Bulldog 49-yard line.

It took Barnett and the Whirlies just one play to clinch the win, as Barnett connected on a 49-yard scoring strike to Christian Tutuh, who crossed the goal line with just 14 seconds left to set off the celebration.

The difference-maker for Grimsley was Barnett, who scored three of Grimsley's four TDs on a 26-yard run and two passes that covered a total of 107 yards. Jeiel Melton scored the other touchdown on a 40-yard run as all four of the Whirlies scores came on 25-plus yard plays.

Barnett finished 14-of-29 passing for 215 yards, but he also had two passes intercepted.

While Albright didn't figure into the scoring and had a quiet night offensively, he managed to make his presence as a defensive lineman. He spent much of the night disrupting the Butler backfield, according to a Greensboro News & Observer story.

“I knew all week about the personnel, and the way they run the ball we had to put it in," Albright told the News & Observer. "I did what my team asked me to do and went all-out tonight."