Joliet Catholic starts the year with convincing win over Iowa City

JOLIET – Joliet Catholic has made it clear they want to reclaim sole possession of the state record for most football championships this season. We’re only one game into the 2024 season, but the Hilltoppers started that quest on the right foot Friday night.

Opening the season at Memorial Stadium against out-of-state Iowa City (Iowa), the Hilltoppers did what they’ve long done best: Run the ball well and make big plays on defense. That lethal combination was more than enough to deliver a 50-22 win.

Chicago Mount Carmel’s 15th state title last year put it in a tie for most in Illinois history with the Hilltoppers. While many will say they don’t care about such things, the long history at JCA makes state championships not just a goal every season, but an expectation.

Friday night, the Hilltoppers took the first step in meeting that expectation.

“It was good after we got off to a slow start,” coach Jake Jaworski said. “The defense made a huge play early on until the offense got going. ... It was a good Week 1 win, we just have some areas we need to improve on.”

JCA (1-0) started off a little slow on offense, first with a three-and-out and then punting on its second possession. After that, the Hilltoppers began to look like their old selves as they marched down the field using their imposing ground attack. Nate Magrini picked up a 12-yard gain on fourth-and-1 to set up JCA with a first-and-goal at the 10. Vince Bremner did the rest as he ran up the middle for six as time expired in the opening quarter, making it 8-0 after a successful 2-point conversion.

The Hilltoppers’ defense bent at times on the night, but refused to break while making a slew of major plays of their own. Few were bigger than Zac Beitler’s 30-yard pick six to open the second quarter and put the Hilltoppers up 15-0.

Iowa City was forced to punt on its next possession, but managed to pin Joliet Catholic at its own 1-yard line. That was no problem for the Hilltoppers, as they marched down the field chunk play by chunk play and ending with Keegan Farnaus’ 3-yard touchdown run with 3:30 left in the first half.

Dawson Kahl of Iowa City managed a 4-yard touchdown run after the air attack got Iowa City down the field. That resulted in a halftime score of 22-6 as Kingston Dunagan blocked the extra point.

The second half started with a bang as Farnaus returned the opening kick 75 yards to the Iowa City 15 and a face mask penalty put the Hilltoppers inside the 10. Three plays later, Magrini punched it in from a yard out to make it 29-6.

The defense came up with yet another big play the next possession with their second pick six of the evening, this one by Anthony Brown who ran it back 60 yards and extended the lead to 36-6.

With two pick sixes and a blocked kick, there were a ton of strong candidates for defensive player of the night. It’s hard not to give it to Ian Campbell, however, as he posted 2.5 sacks with a forced fumble that came on the next Iowa City possession and was recovered by the Hilltoppers. That helped set up a 15-yard TD run by Magrini, his second of the evening to increase the lead to 43-6.

With 34 seconds to go in the third quarter, Preston Coleman got his second carry of the night and took it 44 yards to the house, giving JCA 50 points. Iowa City managed a 29-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Bacon to Lyon Harris with 6:09 to go and a 41-yard connection from Bacon to Dominic Salibi to give the game its final score.

JCA finished with 333 yards rushing, led by Larry Stringham with 74 and Magrini with 67. The defense forced three turnovers and compiled five sacks from Campbell (2.5), Adonis Hicks, Nick Bueno and Zach Pomatto (0.5).

“We grind really hard in the offseason,” Campbell said. “We don’t take plays off, and we condition the heck out of our bodies. That’s why we put up those 14 points because we just grind. We’re one unit, one defense.”

JCA will continue its season next week with a trip to Oswego on Friday.