The Times Week 5 Football Notebook: Marquette’s defense rock solid in win over St. Bede

Here’s more from the Week 5 sidelines across The Times coverage area.

‘The stuff’ Marquette wins are made of

While the efficiency of Marquette’s offense was remarkable in a 43-7 win over St. Bede on Saturday, the Crusaders’ defense was just as spectacular.

Against a physical Bruins’ run game led inside by bruising sophomore fullback Landon Marquez, MA was tough as nails, allowing only 34 yards on 21 attempts. Marquez, who powered his way to a whopping 150 yards on 32 carries against stingy and undefeated Class 3A No. 5-ranked Seneca the week before, managed only 23 yards on 12 attempts against Marquette.

His long run for the day was a 6-yarder on his last attempt, doubling his previous long for the day.

Overall, Marquette surrendered 122 total yards, with 75 of those on one play – a long touchdown pass from AJ Hermes to Carson Riva in the third quarter after a running clock and against the Cru’s backups.

An interception by Matt Graham and a fumble recovery by Keaton Davis upped the Cru’s takeaway ratio to plus-4 for the season.

Weibel’s scrambling success for Streator

The Streator Bulldogs haven’t managed to record a win since the season opener, but the continued improvement in the passing game – and the improvisational playmaking of senior quarterback Isaiah Weibel – sure got them close in Friday’s 31-30 loss at Herscher.

Weibel put up his best stat line of the season, going 16 for 26 for 198 yards and three touchdowns. His lone interception came on a Hail Mary pass to end the opening half.

Many of those completions, touchdowns and 2-point conversions came as the result of Weibel, who has found success as a scrambler, using his legs to extend plays, his vision to find open receivers and his arm to get them the football.

“When I’m running, if I see a guy open like Marcus Hunter that second drive, if he’s there I’m going to throw it. If not, I’m going to tuck that thing and run,” Weibel said.

That talent was on full display during a nine-play, 56-yard touchdown drive in the closing minutes, and the 2-point conversion that put the Bulldogs briefly ahead before Herscher’s improbable drive to a game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired.

Weibel led the offense 56 yards in a little less than two minutes.

“That’s what a field general looks like, right there,” Streator coach Matt Cloe said. “It was John Elway-esque.”

Seneca’s Giertz provides quick redemption

It’s amazing sometimes how an athlete can quickly turn a negative into a positive.

That was the case for Seneca senior quarterback Paxton Giertz in the first quarter of Friday’s 41-0 win over Aurora Central Catholic.

With the Fighting Irish facing a third-and-10 at the Chargers’ 19, Giertz raced toward the goal line around the left end on a keeper. When he reached the 8, he tried to leap over a defender for extra yardage.

However, unlike in the NFL or college football, hurdling is a 15-yard penalty, according to the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS). The rule is intended to protect the hurdler and opponent.

“It’s not something I expected Paxton to do, not something I’ve ever seen him do and not something I ever want to see him do again,” Seneca coach Terry Maxwell said. “In those situations, he normally just gets out of bounds, but he’s a competitor and sometimes a competitor’s brain tells them to do some crazy things in the moment.

“I know I was holding my breath as he took off, and I’m pretty sure [Seneca boys basketball coach] Russ [Witte] was as well.”

The penalty moved the ball back to the Chargers’ 23 for another third down. Maxwell said he called for the same play, but this time designed it to the right.

Giertz took the snap, and after a couple of fakes to his running backs, tucked the ball under his arm and started around the right end of the line. He then stopped on a dime, cut the play back to the left, juked a pair of defenders at the 15 and dashed into the end zone untouched for a score to put Seneca up 14-0 early.

Giertz finished with 64 yards on six carries and two touchdowns and completed all three of his pass attempts for 53 yards and a TD. He also kicked five extra points and made three solo tackles.

“Pax is a pretty special athlete,” Maxwell said. “We’re glad he’s on our side.”