Joliet Catholic, QB T.J. Schlageter survive 1-point thriller with IC Catholic

JOLIET – Joliet Catholic quarterback T.J. Schlageter figured there was plenty of time.

There was 2:16 remaining after IC Catholic’s Dennis Mandala threw his third long touchdown pass of the night to give the Class 3A powerhouse Knights the lead against the fellow top-ranked and unbeaten 4A Hilltoppers.

What’s six points when you can run the ball like the Hilltoppers?

As it turned out, Schlageter would have to connect on a key fourth-down pass on the way to a 23-22 victory before about 3,000 exhausted spectators at Joliet Memorial Stadium. His 15-yard completion to Drew Wills on the right sideline with 1:37 to play kept the drive alive, helping lead to JCA’s 22nd straight victory.

“As I’m dropping back, I see the corner bailing,” Schlageter said. “I’ve just got to set my feet, take a deep breath and deliver the throw.”

And there was Wills, open for the reception on fourth-and-10, getting to the Knights’ 16.

Two plays later, Schlageter scooted to the right corner of the end zone and, following Patrick Durkin’s extra-point kick, the Hilltoppers had the edge with the game’s fourth lead change.

And they kept the lead after IC Catholic’s final flurry, led by Mandala (16 of 23, 382 yards), fell short in the form of a 46-yard field goal that careened wide left.

“It really challenges you, what you have deep down inside,” Schlageter said. “Some guys have it, some guys don’t. I trust our guys, our front five.”

And Durkin, his kicker. Early on, a bad snap caused Durkin to miss a point after, but he nailed everything else, including a 19-yard field goal that gave the Hilltoppers a 16-14 lead with 4:23 to play.

Mandala and Co. answered with a 59-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Parker on fourth-and-8 to regain the lead with 2:16 to go.

Game over? Game not over. The Hilltoppers drove 80 yards on 10 plays in 1:31 for the winning score, starting with 19- and 10-yard rushes by H.J. Grigsby, who gained 73 of his 81 yards in the second half.

The Knights’ quick-strike offense and the arm of Mandala showed early in a pair of big second-quarter plays: a 92-yard touchdown pass from Mandala to Parker on the first play after JCA opened the scoring on Brett Mouw’s 4-yard plunge, and a 72-yard scoring completion from Mandala to Denzell Gibson for the lead with 2:25 left in the half. Parker beat his coverage at the line, but needed to slip a pair of tacklers and then get blocking help for his gambol down the right hashmark.

Mouw had capped a 12-play drive by punching in a score for a 7-0 lead with 8:58 left in the opening half.

Gibson, in tears after the game, knows his team is still a 3A powerhouse.

“My brothers and I, we fought hard,” Gibson said. “I wouldn’t want anything less.”