| Carmel zips past JCA |
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By Mike Fitzgerald Special to the herald news
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Hillmen settle for a share of East Suburban Catholic title
Joliet Catholic Academy won the battle of statistics, but Carmel used big plays at opportune times to forge a 37-29 East Suburban Catholic Conference football victory over the Hilltoppers Friday.
The Hilltoppers (6-3, 6-1), rolled up 464 total yards compared to 333 for Carmel, but the Corsairs broke to a 14-6 halftime advantage and never looked back. Penalties and a fumble also hurt the Hillmen, who trailed 30-14 with 10:13 left and 37-22 with 1:55 remaining.
JCA finishes in a first-place tie with St. Viator in the East Suburban Catholic, but Friday's setback deprived the Hilltoppers of winning the conference crown outright. The loss also took some of the luster off a strong performance turned in by JCA junior quarterback John Ruettiger.
Operating with cool efficiency, Ruettiger completed 14-of-28 throws for 184 yards. He also ran for three touchdowns. He finished with 64 ground yards on 11 carries.
"I thought Ruettiger was really cool under fire and showed plenty of character," JCA coach Dan Sharp said. "We moved the ball well, but fumbles and penalties hurt us. We need to do a better job of minimizing mistakes and improving our tackling."
The teams were knotted in a scoreless tie after a quarter, but Carmel running back Jimmy Potempa put the Corsairs on the board first with a 16-yard run three minutes into the second quarter. It was the start of a big night for Potempa, who would rush 19 times for 126 yards. Carmel racked up 295 yards rushing on 43 carries, even though JCA finished with a 28-13 advantage in first downs.
JCA countered Potempa's first score with a 79-yard touchdown drive capped by Ruettiger's short scoring run. A two-point conversion try failed, and Carmel would expand on its 7-6 advantage when Sean Lees scored on a 30-yard double-reverse with 0:42 remaining.
"We were hoping to get off quicker than we did," Sharp said. "You really can't contain Carmel for long. It was important for us to do more offensively than we did."
The Hilltoppers did things early in the third quarter, but all of them weren't good. After marching to Carmel's 25, a pair of penalties stalled the drive. Carmel couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, and JCA ultimately gained possession at the Corsair 23 when Anthony Andrews recovered a fumbled punt. Five plays later, JCA was on the board.
Connor Krisch scored on a 2-yard run and Ruettiger hit Coby Fleener on a 2-yard conversion pass to force a 14-14 tie. Unfortunately for JCA, the tie would be short-lived. Potempa shook loose on an 80-yard touchdown run to give Carmel a 21-14 edge. The Corsairs extended the margin to 24-14 when Billy Janssen kicked a short field goal, and a Krisch fumble later on made it 30-14 in a hurry. Carmel's 16-point run was decisive, even though the Hilltoppers wouldn't quit.
"I thought we showed character," Ruettiger said. "We played all-out. We moved the ball well, but fumbles and penalties did hurt us."
JCA climbed within 30-22 with 6:14 left when Ruettiger scored on a 4-yard run, then hit Krisch with a two-point conversion throw. The JCA defense then held, but hopes of a game-tying score were dashed when Tyler Hudetz fumbled at the Corsair 20. Four plays later, Carmel scored again to extend the lead to 37-22.
"We had some bad field position early," Sharp said. ""It became a track meet once we opened it up. As of now, we just need to rebound from this. We're the conference co-champions and we're going to the playoffs."
Hudetz totaled 104 yards rushing. Lees supplemented Potempa's work with 89 yards rushing for Carmel.
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