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JCA takes wraps off Buchanan
By Mike Fitzgerald STAFF WRITER Joliet Herald News
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — Joliet Catholic Academy took the wraps off Bobby Buchanan Friday night, and the junior running back delivered four touchdowns and more than 200 yards of offense to propel the Hilltoppers past St. Viator 42-0.
"I feel like I've been in hiding the past two weeks," Buchanan said. "It was time for me to step it up. I've been working harder in practice, and it showed in the game.
Buchanan scored on runs of 48, 39, 7 and 3 yards. He finished with 162 rushing yards on 14 carries and 42 receiving yards on two catches as he helped JCA (3-0, 1-0 in the Catholic Metro Red) awaken an offense that scored only seven points against Loyola a week earlier.
"When you have a new line and new backs it takes time to get in sync," coach Dan Sharp said. "We finally got in sync where our timing was good and our execution was good against a team with a good run defense."
The Hilltoppers' defense provided the first scoring opportunity of the game. Defensive back Anthony Joutras intercepted quarterback Matt Criscione at the Lions' 29-yard line on the third play of the game. After Buchanan broke a 16-yard run and a 4-yard run on back-to-back carries to move the ball to the 9, senior running back Brett Hettman took two runs to put it into the end zone.
Hettman finished with 128 yards rushing on 12 carries. Running back Kurt Kleeman finished an 85-yard scoring drive in the second quarter with a 1-yard run to make it 14-0 with 11:12 to play.
Buchanan then went to work, finishing out the scoring with two touchdowns in the second quarter, one in the third and one in the fourth quarter.
"You see what can happen when you give them a hole to run through," Sharp said. "Buchanan ran very hard and with a lot of confidence, and Hettman is a power runner from the half back side. You have thunder and lightning with those two."
The JCA offensive line of Steve Douglas, Nick Bizzieri, Jim Kulovitz, Joe Plese, Nick Mezera and tight end Jim Jadron also shares the credit for the 339 yards of rushing the Hilltoppers compiled.
"Dave Douglas did some special work with those guys," Sharp said. "It's (the success of the running game) a credit to the kids' work ethic and Dave's teaching this week."
Buchanan agreed. "Everyone got to their blocks, and everything went the way we wanted it to," he said. "We moved the ball a lot better than we have before."
And you can't forget about the JCA defense, which posted its third consecutive shutout. The Hilltoppers held the Lions to seven first downs and never let St. Viator (0-3, 0-1) sniff the end zone.
"Our defense is playing extremely well," Sharp said. "We got so much pressure up front, and our ends played extremely well in containing their quarterback."
Brad Sing and Andrew Kolodziej applied the pressure up front while linebackers Ryan Lincoln, Chris Jeske and Chris Bayci cleaned up the Lions' ball carriers who managed to get through. Joutras also picked up his second interception later in the game.
The team's thoughts now turn to the showdown with Providence Catholic at Memorial Stadium next Friday. "It's going to be a great football game," Sharp said. "They will have the best talent of anyone we will see this year without a doubt."
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