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IC Catholic routs Joliet Catholic

No points in the first and third quarters, no problem. Not for the high-powered offense of IC Catholic Prep.

In Friday's game against visiting Joliet Catholic, the Knights exploded for 29 second-quarter points on their way to an impressive 42-0 win to start the year 2-0.

Sophomore running Kyle Franklin had touchdown runs of 6 and 48 yards in the second quarter on his way to finishing the game with 132 yards on 16 carries.

"I felt like as a team and as a brotherhood we all stepped up after that first quarter," said Franklin, whose 6-yard score was set up by an interception by Steven Crady with 7:14 left in the first half. "We knew we had to work hard against a strong team like Joliet Catholic and that's what we did."

Each team turned the ball over on their opening possession. The game remained scoreless until the Knights struck on the first play of the second quarter when quarterback Khalil Saunders fired a 39-yard strike into the end zone that Jake Lytton hauled in with a defender in tight coverage. It was the first of four scores in the second quarter as the Knights dominated on both sides of the ball for much of the night.

"The offensive line gave Khalil the time and he threw a perfect ball," Lytton said of the night's first score. "I was able to come down with the catch and it was awesome. Then our defense was great the whole night. We played well and now we hope to keep it going."

The Knights' second TD pass came late in the first half and followed a lengthy delay caused by lightning. Tight end Khali Saunders, who also played a big role on the team's defensive shutout, caught a 7-yard pass for a 29-0 lead with 11.6 seconds left in the half.

"These guys were amped up and they punched us in the mouth," Hilltoppers coach Jake Jaworski said of the Knights, the defending Class 3A champs. "They kicked our butts."

While the ICCP offense didn't add to its lead in the third quarter, the defense stayed on top of its game and kept the shutout intact. In the fourth quarter, Knights reserve running back Crady added TD runs of 42 and 3 yards while gaining 76 yards in the final quarter.

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