Carmel gets in its kicks, hands Marmion fifth straight loss

MUNDELEIN – Carmel sure got a kick out of its wins on Friday night.

First freshman Jack Doyle kicked the game-winning field goal — a 24-yarder with 15 seconds left in regulation — in the frosh-soph team’s 23-21 defeat of visiting Marmion.

Junior Ashton Lutz must have drawn inspiration from Doyle as he booted four field goals (31, 29, 36 and 30 yards) and an extra point in the varsity’s 19-6 victory in the nonconference game in Mundelein.

“I saw Jack’s kick,” said Lutz, who had never made more than two field goals in a varsity game. “Happy for him. I trained him up in the preseason. I think he’s good, really good, and he’s only going to get better.”

The Corsairs’ win Friday night halted their losing streak at two games and avenged a 49-14 loss to the Cadets in Aurora last season. Carmel (5-2) became playoff eligible and extended Marmion’s losing streak to five games.

Carmel capitalized on the first of Marmion’s two lost fumbles in the first quarter after it had opened the scoring on Lutz’s first FG. Corsairs junior running back/linebacker Kyle Lynch (12 carries, 58 yards, TD) recovered a fumble at 5:30 and then ran for 6-yard TD three plays later.

Carmel junior defensive linemen Blake Wendt pounced on another Cadet fumble with 2:25 left in the first frame.

Corsairs senior linebacker Trent Zimay had quite a night, recording 2 sacks, stopping a Cadet for a 2-yard loss and nearly picking off a pass in the second half.

Carmel led 13-0 at the half.

Marmion got on the board in the third quarter, thanks to a 33-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Henry Garrison (13 of 19, 164 yards, TD) to senior RB Xavier Flores (six receptions, 72 yards, TD).

Lutz responded nearly 6 minutes later with his third FG to stretch Carmel’s advantage to 16-6.

Breathing room.

The reliable kicker’s final FG accounted for all of the scoring in the final quarter.

“We didn’t lose because of lack of effort,” Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said after his crew slipped to 2-5. “I’d want to battle with this group anytime, anywhere.

“We did a good job in the red zone against Carmel. But you have to give Carmel credit. Six points by us, not enough. And we had too many negative plays.”