Oswego’s rushing attack, elite linebacker play propel shutout of Joliet Catholic

OSWEGO – In 1989, Joliet Catholic defeated Oswego 34-11 in a first-round playoff matchup. 35 years later, Oswego finally got its revenge.

Oswego’s (2-0) rushing attack and elite linebacker play propelled the Panthers to a 17-0 shutout of visiting Joliet Catholic (1-1).

Oswego linebacker Carson Cooney wasn’t shocked by the result.

“We worked hard for it all offseason. We saw it coming,” he said. “Our team puts in the work. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

Cooney, aided by fellow linebackers Easton Ruby and Michael Claycombe, held a Joliet Catholic offense that rushed for 333 yards a week ago to just 148 total yards.

The three linebackers wear consecutive jersey numbers as well, with Ruby donning No. 4, Cooney wearing No. 5, and Claycombe in No. 6.

“You can’t say enough about ‘4,’ ‘5,’ ‘6,’” Oswego coach Brian Cooney said. “Their eyes are right and they’ve got a passion to get to the ball.”

Oswego’s opening possession set the tone. The Panthers constructed an 11-play, 70-yard drive that was propelled by a 27-yard catch and run from quarterback Brett Connolly to Jeremiah Cain and was punctuated by a Lucas Andersen one-yard touchdown rush.

After the nearly six-minute drive, Joliet Catholic took over and built an 11-play drive of its own. The Hilltoppers drove 48 yards but were stood up on fourth down by none other than Cooney, an Iowa commit.

On the next play, Oswego’s Ayden Villa took a handoff running to his left, put his foot in the ground and broke away for a 64-yard touchdown run.

“He can do a little bit of everything,” coach Cooney said about his tailback. “Ayden does a great job between the tackles. He’s slippery, he’ll spin off and get those extra yards; he’s always falling forward.”

Villa’s run sent the crowd and the bench into a frenzy, and made Oswego believe that they could hold on.

“I was like ‘we got this,’” Carson Cooney said. “We have this.”

Villa finished with 18 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Oswego tacked on a 32-yard field goal off the foot of Kaleb Stumpenhorst as time expired in the first half, and that was all the Panthers would need.

Oswego’s suffocating pursuit of JCA runners was the difference. The second and third levels of the Oswego defense contained a large and fast offensive unit.

“They were big,” Carson Cooney said. “We just had to beat them with speed.”

His coach, and dad, shared the same sentiment.

“The fact that they can go from defending three by three, two by two and empty stuff against Neuqua to condensing it down and getting into a fist fight with some brawlers, it exceeded my expectations,” coach Cooney said.

The second half was more of the same from the Panthers’ defense. JCA didn’t make it further than the Oswego 40 and was forced to punt or turned the ball over on downs on every possession.

Neither by air nor by ground were the Hilltoppers able to muster any offense. Joliet Catholic rushed for 117 yards as a team, led by Nate Magrini who carried the ball 17 times and amassed 67 yards. Through the air, JCA quarterback Lucas Simulink struggled to make connections with receivers. Through a combination of drops and missed throws, the quarterback finished the evening 4 of 13 for 31 yards.

“Tonight was not a great effort offensively from us,” Joliet Catholic coach Jake Jaworski said. “We have to find some playmakers.”

Jaworski credited the Oswego defense for its physical style of play, but also believes his squad left too many opportunities on the field

“Playing behind the sticks is not Joliet Catholic football,” Jaworski said. “It’s on me. I’ve got to be better in coaching and preparing our guys.”

Jaworski, despite the result, is optimistic for the rest of the season.

“That’s why we schedule a game like this: to help us down the road,” he said. “It’s week two. Not week nine and not a playoff game.”

Coach Cooney hopes to keep the momentum for the Panthers heading into next week.

“If you’re this good, this has to be your base,” he said. “This cannot be your peak.”