Joliet Catholic runs past Niles Notre Dame for most dominant win of the year, becomes playoff eligible

NILES – Going all the way back to its first season in 1920, there have been few programs as dominant in any one sport as Joliet Catholic has been in football. Last year saw Chicago Mount Carmel tie the Hilltoppers for most state championships in state history with 15.

Yet this season JCA hasn’t been quite its dominant self. Entering Friday it was 3-2, and if you take out the season-opening win over Iowa City, it had been outscored 76-58 on the year. Even the Iowa City game saw the Hilltoppers need a quarter to get going. However, in football, it’s all about getting hot at the right time.

Friday night in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, the Hilltoppers looked as hot as any team out there.

JCA’s offense put up 377 yards on Niles Notre Dame while its defense held the Irish to just 105 yards. The result? A 28-0 victory over its East Suburban Catholic Conference Orange rivals to move to 4-2 on the year and 2-0 in ESCC play. The Hilltoppers are officially playoff-eligible with the victory.

JCA entered the game looking for a bounce-back effort after falling to Nazareth 16-13. It couldn’t have bounced back much better than it did against the Irish as Larry Stringham led the offense with 136 yards and two scores on 13 runs, while Daniel Rouse and Rocco Powell led the defense with two sacks each.

“It was awesome for the defense to get a stop to start the game and for the offense to march down get the ball in the end zone,” coach Jake Jaworski said. “To be able to get the ball into the end zone on offense three times in the first half, when getting in the end zone has been our issue a bit this season, was good. It gives us a little confidence boost, for sure.”

After a three-and-out by Notre Dame to start, JCA proceeded to go on a seven-play, 55-yard drive that ended in a 12-yard touchdown run by Nate Magrini to make it 7-0 with 6:06 to go in the opening quarter. Magrini ran for 91 yards on 14 carries.

While Ryan Cisneroz was able to get a fumble recovery for the Irish defense before the first quarter was out, the Hilltoppers held the ND offense to a third consecutive three-and-out to start the game. JCA responded with a long methodical drive that was capped off by a 7-yard touchdown run from Stringham.

Things went from bad to worse for the Irish after that. After another three-and-out, Dillon Gallagher’s punt was blocked by Mikey Brow and scooped up by Anthony Brown, who proceeded to run 24 yards for a score to make it 21-0 midway through the second.

Stringham added a 40-yard touchdown on the Hilltoppers’ final drive of the half. Notre Dame didn’t pick up a first down until 1:34 remained in the second quarter.

The second half saw Joliet Catholic start on offense. While they didn’t score, they managed to take 7:33 off the clock. However, the Irish didn’t give up. They picked up more first downs on the ensuing drive than they did in the entire first half as they got down to the JCA 5-yard line. ND couldn’t convert on fourth-and-3, and a zero remained on their side of the board.

JCA didn’t score its next possession either, but milked the clock well into the fourth quarter and didn’t need any more points to secure the win.

“[Tonight was about] getting into the playoffs,” Stringham said. “We had to get this win to get in. We played OK, but we could’ve played better. We shot ourselves in the foot with (12) penalties but still played amazing.”

Next week will be a critical matchup for many reasons, but bragging rights will be on the line as the Hilltoppers visit Mt. Carmel. JCA’s biggest hope is to take sole possession of the state title record at the end of the season, but a win over the Caravan in October would be sweet.

“We’re ready,” Rouse said. “We’ll be prepared. ... We haven’t played them in forever and it’ll be a great game.”