St. Viator clips Carmel
Leg cramps denied Darreontae Jackson the opportunity to join his jubilant St. Viator football teammates as they huddled, roared and hopped near the visiting bleachers.
The Lions were celebrating their 17-10 win over host Carmel Catholic in an East Suburban Catholic Conference thriller Friday night. Jackson, however, lay stretched out on the ground, assisted by an athletic trainer. The senior running back was able only to shout happily.
For St. Viator, it was a good thing Jackson's leg cramps didn't act up several minutes earlier.
His 60-yard touchdown reception with 1:06 left in the fourth quarter snapped a 10-10 tie, before Wilson Starr's interception in the final 40 seconds sealed the Lions' road win and spoiled Carmel's homecoming.
"It was a really exciting win," St. Viator coach Dave Archibald said after his team improved to 3-2 and 2-1 in the ESCC.
Jackson said he first experienced leg cramps in the second half, but he got hydrated and was on the field when his team needed him most.
On the go-ahead TD, junior Bryce Hellgeth, making his first varsity start at quarterback, rolled to his right and lobbed a pass to Jackson near the Carmel sideline at midfield. Jackson made the catch over two closing defenders, deftly stayed inbounds and then zoomed to the end zone.
"I didn't give up on the play at all," Jackson sad. "I kept with it. I kept going down the sideline. I just had to make a big play in a big game."
The play was the longest from scrimmage from either team all night and capped a 4-play drive that started at the St. Viator 12.
"Bryce did a good job of going through his read progression and finding the open guy," Archibald said. "Darreontae, when he gets in space, has electric ability to make people miss and to get in the end zone. We needed a big play, and the team came through."
Carmel (2-3, 1-2) played without three-year varsity running back Rondel Jamison, who suffered a season-ending broken left foot against Nazareth last week. He underwent surgery Thursday.
"That changes a lot, but what are you going to do? You got to play the game," Carmel coach Andy Bitto said. "We had a chance to win."
"He's a great leader on the team, even if he's hurt," running back Zaire Barnes, who scored the Corsairs' lone touchdown, said of Jamison. "We still persevere. We're just going to keep working hard every day, and he's going to keep coaching his backup."
Tariq Abrams, Jamison's backup, rushed 14 times for 49 yards.
"I think for his first game he did phenomenal," Barnes said.
Carmel marched 92 yards on 15 plays to start the game, scoring when Barnes took a pitch from quarterback Jeremy Strutzel and scored from 4 yards out with 3:42 left in the opening quarter. Earlier in the series, Barnes had a 54-yard touchdown run called back because of holding.
"Carmel scored first and came out fast, but I think our defense really got things together after that," Archibald said. "Playing against option football is not easy. We've been repping it all week, but when it's at live speed it's different."
St. Viator answered immediately, with Jackson's 13-yard TD run capping a 13-play, 67-yard drive to pull the visitors even with 8:34 left in the second quarter.
"I have faith in my big tight end, Cole Kmet (6-5, 235)," Jackson said after rushing 18 times for 72 yards. "He led the way for me (on the TD)."
St. Viator then put together a 12-play drive that stalled at the Carmel 11. Hellgeth's 28-yard field goal gave the Lions a 10-7 lead with 20 seconds to go before halftime.
Carmel's Matt Hellen kicked a 25-yard field goal late in the third quarter to tie the score. Barnes scored on an apparent 27-yard TD run early in the fourth, but a holding penalty again wiped it out. St. Viator's Matt Dzuibyk broke up a fourth-down pass to end the drive.
Strutzel led Carmel's ground attack, gaining 86 yards on 13 carries.
"I thought we did a nice job of getting the ball on the perimeter and reading the option," Bitto said. "But you can't have holding calls on 2 touchdowns."