Joliet Catholic pulls away at Carmel

Carmel Catholic's football team was staying close, right up until the final seconds of the first half.

But that's when visiting Joliet Catholic made the big pass play that sent the Hilltoppers on their way to victory.

The Corsairs saw a 4-point game change in a hurry, ending up down by 11 at the half. Joliet Catholic rolled from there, scoring 24 unanswered points to win 34-14 in an East Suburban Catholic Conference opener in Mundelein.

"We were hanging in there with (Joliet Catholic)," Carmel Catholic coach Andy Bitto said. "As the clock was running out, that play was one that deflated us. I was trying to rev our players up at the halftime to forget that particular play.

"We were playing a good team, but I don't know if they were 3 touchdowns better than us. They did beat us, but our goal is to get their level of expectations so we can beat teams like that."

The Hilltoppers looked like they were going to go in the half with a 10-6 lead. But with 1.5 seconds left on the clock and one last play, Joliet Catholic quarterback Cade Earl sent a long pass towards the end zone.

It looked like it was going to be intercepted by one of the Corsairs. Instead Harold Davis stepped in, getting the ball around the 15 making it into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown catch.

Carmel had been down 10-0 until it put together a six-play, 87 yard drive that included a 45-yard run on a reverse to Kenny Barber (6 carries, 98 yards). A few plays later Rondel Jamison (19 carries, 149 yards) scored on a 6-yard run that cut the lead to 10-6 with 5:47 left in the second quarter.

"It was a good night - we've just got to keep up the intensity in practice," Jamison said. "We did some good things, but we have to keep working on it. The offensive line does help out a lot."

The Hilltoppers came out strong in the third quarter, as Michael Johnson found the end zone on a pair of touchdowns, from a yard and from the 30, to finish drives of 74 and 80 yards as Joliet Catholic led 31-6.

Brian Bravo added the second of two field goals from 42-yards in the final quarter and made the first one from 32 yards.

Carmel quarterback Michael Huiras added the other touchdown on an 18-yard keeper and Joe Hoy scampered in the end zone for a 2-point conversion.

"Carmel is a good football team," Joliet Catholic coach Dan Sharp said. "That fullback (Jamison) is a great player and tough to tackle. That quarterback (Huiras) is shifty and fast. For us to be able to contain them for as much as we did in the first half, that was the key."