Senior quarterback Jonas Williams has returned with a vengeance for Lincoln-Way East.
The USC recruit has come back after missing time with an ankle injury, and in the process, has regained his elite status as the most feared player on offense in the entire state.
“Honestly, as a competitor, it was really hard having to sit out those two games,” Williams said. “But I’m just glad to be back. Even though I couldn’t play, I prepared mentally for this moment.
“That has really helped me a lot.”
Williams didn’t need a lot of help Friday night at Palatine, dazzling with four touchdown passes for the ninth-seeded Griffins in a 55-13 victory in a Class 8A second-round playoff game.
Senior wide receiver Matt Orban caught three TD passes of 14, 24 and 45 yards as Lincoln-Way East (9-2) set the stage for a potential quarterfinal showdown with top-seeded Mount Carmel.
Lincoln-Way East’s Jonas Williams (13) fires a pass against Palatine during the first quarter of a Class 8A second-round playoff game in Palatine on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / Daily Southtown)
Senior running back Brody Gish broke off TD runs of 60 and 13 yards against Palatine (6-5). Senior cornerback Deandre Watson also had a 97-yard interception return TD.
Williams, meanwhile, has to wait a little longer for making more history. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 193 yards. He entered the game 214 yards short of the state’s career passing mark.
Already the state’s all-time leader in career TD passes, Williams is 21 yards shy of the state standard established by Nazareth’s Logan Malachuk, who finished with 11,190 passing yards.
“I’m not concerned with those kinds of records,” Williams said. “I’m aware of it and I hear about those records, but I don’t really focus on it. Records and all of that are not the main goal.”
Lincoln-Way East’s Jonas Williams (13) goes on the run against Palatine during the second quarter of a Class 8A second-round playoff game in Palatine on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / Daily Southtown)
Junior receiver Jayden Cawthon also contributed as part of Williams’ eye-popping performance, scoring his first career playoff TD on an 8-yard strike from Williams in the second quarter.
“He’s definitely a game changer,” Cawthon said of Williams. “We were missing a big piece of our offense, and we couldn’t get much going without him. Scoring was a huge personal moment.
“I came from a school, Plainfield East, that wasn’t used to winning, and Jonas was like my big brother when I got here. He took me over and we’ve been close ever since.”
Williams continued to spread the wealth Friday. He also was quick to share the credit.
Lincoln-Way East’s Jonas Williams (13) reacts on the bench against Palatine during a Class 8A second-round playoff game in Palatine on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / Daily Southtown)
“I think when you have great receivers like I do, we get into that perfect,” Williams said. “We put in a lot of work off the field, getting our chemistry just right. That allows us to execute on game days.”
In back-to-back losses to Naperville North and Sandburg, the absence of Williams’ presence was felt. He embodies the saying that you don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone.
“We learned these last two years, if not consciously at least subconsciously, if we made errors or didn’t perform at our best, our Michael Jordan would cover for us,” Griffins coach Rob Zvonar said.
“It wasn’t just him. We were missing five starters and three Division I players. I don’t gamble, but if there was a Vegas line, it would change 35 points whether Jonas was playing or not.”
Lincoln-Way East’s Jonas Williams (13) gets going during the first quarter of a Class 8A second-round playoff game in Palatine on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / Daily Southtown)
Indeed, Lincoln-Way East has scored 100 points in two dominant playoff games.
All the qualities that have made Williams must-see viewing — buying time in the pocket or making great throws on the run — were on display Friday night. Nothing happens in a vacuum.
Ultimately, according to Williams, his play in the most consequential games will be how his legacy is going to be judged. Still, he has his own measure of success.
“I’m close to 100% and I’m just grateful that we executed and are ready to get back,” he said. ”The records are nice. No matter what I do out there, I know I still have more work to do.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
