Suburban Life notes: Unbeaten Benet emerging as one of state’s surprise stories

Four weeks into the season, Benet is in a select group.

The Redwings (4-0, 1-0 CCL/ESCC Purple) are among the remaining unbeaten teams in the state and one of the surprise stories almost halfway through the regular season. Benet is off to its best start in over a decade.

The Redwings weren’t challenged in their first three games, crushing Hillcrest, Moline and De La Salle but earned a hard-fought 23-16 win over previously unbeaten St. Viator last week.

Benet coach Pat New said his players are motivated to not extend their playoff drought to four. The Redwings have their toughest test to date Friday, traveling to defending Class 7A state champion Mount Carmel (3-1) for a 7:30 p.m. game.

“It’s been great and the school is really excited about it,” New said. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm. We’ve missed the playoffs the last three years. We set the goal of winning the purple division and earning a spot in the playoffs.”

New said Friday’s game will challenge his players on many levels.

“I think the key is against great teams like that is you have to execute,” New said. “You can’t drop passes or miss tackles. You can’t win against a very talented team and have that stuff happen. You have to execute and be flawless.”

New said he sensed something was different with his players during the summer, prompting him to expect a stronger showing this season.

“I noticed it in summer conditioning with our senior leadership,” he said. “You could tell they really care about accomplishing our goal and bought in.”

New had high praise for his offense, which includes two starters back on the line and the return of quarterback Ryan Kubacki, who passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns last week.

“It’s a challenge for everyone to get five wins, but every game we get closer is a great accomplishment,” New said. “We’re pretty excited about it. Our offseason preparation was great, having Ryan back has been big for us as well. His game has really improved and he’s a great leader for us. He’s making plays and he has some good receivers to throw to. He’s been really accurate and has an ability to create a lot of plays.”

The wide receiver combination of Luke Doyle and Luke Wildes, along with running back Martin Radgowski, is thriving behind a veteran quarterback and experienced offensive line.

The offensive line includes returning starters in senior center Michael O’Rourke and junior left tackle Jack Sciortino.

“It’s absolutely essential to have a good offensive line,” New said. “These days it’s getting harder and harder. We’ve also had several players step up on defense. Senior linebacker Quinn Devine has done a great job for us. Our defensive line of ends Declan Walsh and Joe Rodi and in the inside, Liam Rooney, are a huge strength for us.”

St. Francis update

After winning its first three games, St. Francis suffered a 31-13 loss to St. Rita last week. The Spartans (3-1, 0-1 CCL/ESCC Green) entertain Providence on Friday.

“Obviously, we’re happy where we are at, but it would feel lot better if we were 4-0,” St. Francis coach Bob McMillen said. “St. Rita was extremely prepared and physical and took it to us last week. It was wake-up call. We beat Loyola, but that’s one thing. We have a lot more season left. It’s never good when you lose. The guys were down. We made mistakes that we need to fix. The coaching could’ve been better also, across board we need to get better. The blame falls on me, as the head coach. We have to take this and learn from this.”

McMillen said first-time starting quarterback Brady Palmer is starting to play with more consistency and showing promise, along with linebackers James McGrath and Ryan Palmeri.

“Brady is playing really well the last couple of games, and James and Ryan are doing good things,” he said.

Extra points

Unlike Benet, Glenbard West is on the other spectrum of the win-loss record. The Hilltoppers, one of the top programs in the state for several years, have lost all four of their games this season heading into Saturday’s home game against upstart Leyden (3-1)…Glenbard East (3-1, 1-0) hooks up for a road game against Ridgewood (3-1, 1-1) on Friday in a key Upstate Eight Conference game.