| Undefeated showdown |
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Mike Menozzi JolietCatholicFootball.com
St. Pat’s defense came into tonight’s game against Joliet Catholic giving up only a single offensive touchdown. They were pumped, they were ready, ready to make a statement in the ESCC. Not just that they could play with the Hillmen, but they could defeat the Hilltoppers on their own field.
The Hilltoppers poked them in the eye on the first play from scrimmage – with St. Pat’s on their heels, Catholic opened the floodgates and the St. Pat’s defense was helpless to stop it. The bludgeoning would come soon after and it was no longer a game.
Twenty seconds into the game a screen from Kiernan to Benson down the right side for 70 yards and Catholic jumped on the stunned Shamrock defense. McKeon holds, Platt kicks the extra, it’s 7-0 Catholic.
A run for no gain, and two incomplete passes faced St. Pat’s with a 4th and 10. Not at all what they wanted, not how they wanted to start the game. A punt to the Hillmen, Catholic took over on the 50.
McKeon ran into the teeth of the St. Pat’s defense for no gain, and then Clancy ran it down to the 20 for a 30 yard gain. A screen to Clancy for 5, and McKeon for 5 more set up Catholic with a first and goal on the 9. Clancy pounds for two, McKeon took it in from the three. McKeon holds, Platt adds the extras 14-0 Hilltoppers.
Pat’s received the ensuing kick on the 19, St. Pat’s lost two, picked up 6 on a power running game, and a slant pattern completion gave Pat’s a 1st down on the 39.
With a 3rd and 5 Pat’s was unable to convert, but Mark Dietz picked up the first on a 4th and 6. An 11 yard slant pattern gave St. Pat’s a TD, the extra made it 14-7. Pete Barney narrowly missed blocking the extra, it appeared to go through his outstretched arms. It would be the closest they would come the rest of the night.
Catholic took over on their own 22, a screen to McKeon for 6, setting up a great play by Kiernan. Play action pass and a roll to the right, throw on the run, and hit Eastman for 28 yards to St. Pat’s 46. With 1:12 left St. Pat’s was just about ready to begin to defend the pass when Clancy rumbled for 46 yards and a TD. 21-7 Hillmen at the end of the 1st Quarter.
St. Pat’s turned it over to Catholic again. McKeon and Clancy teamed up to drive the ball to the St. Pat’s 30, but Clancy was shaken up, receiving a stinger in the neck.
On 4th and 5 from St. Pat’s 25 the Shamrocks breathed a sign of relief after stopping the Hillmen. Eastman had the ball go thru his hands or it would have been a first down.
The Hilltopper defense smothered St. Pat’s again and the Shamrocks were forced to punt, this one only traveled 11 yards and the Hillmen were in business again. Benson took a swing pass on the left side for 25 yards and a TD. 28-7 Catholic with 5:35 left in the half.
Metzger sacked junior Thomas Barrett back to the 9 setting up a punt to Catholic. With 3:38 left in the half Kiernan hit Eastman for 17 and a TD. 35-7 Hillmen.
At this point in the half Kiernan was 6-9 for 150+ yards and 3 TD’s.
St. Pat’s running game was going nowhere. The short passing game was the only way they were able to move the ball.
Benson was drilled in the back struggling for more yardage and left the game. The backup fullback entered the game – Jeske. Platt added a 26 yard FG right before the half to make it 38-7 at the half.
St. Pat’s returned to the running game in the second half and powered the ball between the tackles on their first series. Deitz was the primary carrier for the Shamrocks, driving to the 29 but turning it over to the Hilltoppers.
McKeon added another TD with 1:41 left in the third which would hold up until there were three seconds left and the Shamrocks first string added a second TD.
Joliet Catholic 45-14 final.
For a game that was thought to be a meeting of undefeated defensive juggernauts, it turns out there was really only one defense that was flexing their muscle after the game. Catholic’s defense stifled the running game by the Shamrocks and only allowed minimal yardage on short slant patterns.
Meanwhile, the Hilltopper offense struck early and often, the Shamrocks weren’t sure what hit them.
“We knew they had tremendous pressure defense, we were hoping they would be coming hard on the first play, figuring they were all pumped up, and they were. We thought we’d sneak a screen to Benson for a few yards, but he just did the rest, taking it all the way for a TD. I thought it would be a good play, Benny turned it into a touch down and gave us the early lead.” Sharp said.
“Benny is a heck of a football player, he’s a fullback that can run like a fullback and a tailback, that’s a nice weapon to have in this offense. Along with McKeon, Kiernan, Clancy, Eastman, it’s a nice package to work with.”
“Their speed on the ends was tough, once they weren’t coming as hard, we were able to run the ends with success.
“If teams play 9 in the box we have Kiernan and Eastman, if they take way the pass we have McKeon and Clancy on the outside, and if the slide to the outside we have Benson up the middle.”
“I’m most proud of our young linemen, they are really coming together. This was a very good defensive football team, for us to play this well against them is a credit to our kids.”
“A lot of credit goes to the kids, they’ve worked very hard, a lot of credit also goes to Dave Douglas, he’s a great teacher. He gets hit point across, and communicates very well.”
“We’re still not there yet, tonight we did it with out Sean Kennedy, but the kids really came together tonight.”
Edgy asked coach Sharp: “You were really worried about this team tonight”. Sharp responded, “That’s a very good team. We took advantage of their aggressive play, and the screen may have put them on their heels a bit.”
Timely throwing tonight Coach? “Throw enough to be effective, the threat of the pass, along with 7 men on the line of scrimmage, you’re asking your corners to read run, and play the pass. That’s a hard thing to have them do, we took advantage of it.”
“I’m happy with our two minute drill the last two weeks as well, we scored right before half each of the last two weeks. Our two minute drill used to be hand it to JR and hope he breaks one. Now we have a offense that can score from anywhere quickly.”
Benson, Clancy, McKeon, all took shots and or left tonight’s game. How are they? “They’ll all be fine for next week. We never have a game against St. Pat’s and leave without being banged up, because they’re such a great hitting team. These are just bumps and bruises, they’ll be fine.”
The offensive line, you only had one player back from last year, you had to have some question about how good they’d be. “We did but we knew we had talent as well, Grubisich is a senior, Kennedy is a senior, Barrett is a junior, Owens is a junior and a junior and a sophomore rotating at the other tackle. I’m very proud of them tonight.”
After the game I caught up with QB John Kiernan. Coming into tonight’s game did you feel like you were going to have that kind of success against them? “Before this game we thought they’d run man and we could get isolation routes open, but it was a 4 – 4 zone so we knew the flats would be open and so would the screens.”
“We were able to chip away getting some first downs and strike when we needed to.”
What was your take on Mark Dietz, was he as good on the field as he looked from here? “He’s a beast.”
While there is no doubt Dietz was hard to handle on either side of the ball, the only beast visible from the sidelines was the Hilltoppers. Offensively and defensively, they handled 7A St. Pat’s with relative ease, and escaped with only bumps, bruises . . . and win number three.
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