CHAMPAIGN — Champaign Central’s football tradition didn’t start last week. Nor did it end this week. On Saturday, the Maroons closed another chapter, suffering a 42-14 Class 5A semifinal loss to Lincoln-Way West in front of an estimated 1,200 spectators at Tommy Stewart Field. The current squad successfully added to the legacy of a program which dates back more than 120 years. A program which has won more football games than all but six schools in state history. A program with a Hall of Fame head coach (Stewart), and a program with a player who made it to the National Football League (Todd Peat). While Central fell short of its ultimate season goal — a championship-game appearance — it was not short on the milestones side of the ledger. Though the moments after Saturday’s game were not ones of jubilation, neither were they ones of tears. Coach Nate Albaugh’s third Central squad made its presence felt in the record books with a school-record 11 wins, a state-record 80 points in a playoff game and — for the first time — three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. Matt Brown — who was chosen for the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association all-state team on Friday — joined the club in the season finale, rushing for 153 yards against the Warriors. It was a feel-good season which concluded with a feel-sad game. “It didn’t end the way we wanted,” Brown said, “but we made history. The Central program has come so far (from 0-9 in 2012) and we hope this is just the start. Our seniors are a special group.” The year won’t be defined by the final 48 minutes. “This season solidified us as a program that’s good,” Albaugh said. “Our kids can be excited going into the offseason. They can see that success can be had here.” The semifinal game was played on a snow-covered field where the only green was along the yard markers at 5-yard intervals. A strong north wind — blowing in excess of 20 mph much of the game — was as much of a factor as the freezing temperatures. “We had to win the (pregame) coin toss, so we could defer and win the field-position battle,” Lincoln-Way West coach Dave Ernst said. “The only people who like this kind of weather are the ones watching on TV.” Central received the opening kickoff, and during its first three possessions, it didn’t punt on fourth-down plays from its 31 and 28. The Warriors capitalized on the short field, scoring touchdowns on three of their first five plays and holding a 14-0 lead before eight minutes had elapsed. “It didn’t help being buried by the wind,” Albaugh said. “It was so strong, the ball would go nowhere, so you might as well take a chance.” Lincoln-Way West (11-2) scored the first 42 points and created a running clock for the final 16 minutes, 25 seconds. “At the end of the day, (weather conditions) didn’t matter,” Albaugh said. “They were much stronger than us.” Brown eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on a 4-yard gain with 4:51 before halftime. He joined Josh Parker — who gained 43 yards in the semifinals — and Bradley Dee with at least 1,100 yards on the ground. “I’m thankful the coaches trusted me enough to give me the ball,” Brown said, “and for our offensive line, which was often undersized but made up for it with quickness and technique.” The teams completed one pass in the game. It was hauled in by Lincoln Way’s Tom LaBerry — whose mother died earlier this month — and turned into a 78-yard scoring strike that provided the Warriors their 42-0 margin. Ernst was thankful that wrestling standout Gabe Montalvo ran so effectively (239 first-half rushing yards) that the passing game didn’t come into play. “They do some things coveragewise that we don’t see too often, and it concerned me,” Ernst said. “With the weather the way it was, mental toughness was important.” For Albaugh, the most disappointing and frustrating aspect of the game was an incident that occurred with the Maroons trailing 29-0 at 1:43 before halftime. Central’s Tim Maiden was ejected for an on-field fight, and teammate Dee was benched by his coach after leaving the sidelines to participate in the altercation. “I’m more down about that (incident) than the loss,” Albaugh said. “Everything we’ve done has been to build a positive culture and be respectful. I was horrified. That’s what will ruin my weekend.”