St. Edward downs Chicago Christian to stay unbeaten in MSC Red

Singling out one key moment wouldn't justify the St. Edward football team's effort Friday night.

There were just too many moments for the Green Wave, which defeated Chicago Christian 21-14 in Metro Suburban Red Conference action, a win which keeps them unbeaten atop the league standings at 3-0.

Two plays did not have the celebratory splash that a touchdown carries, yet without them St. Edward would have had a difficult time containing the Chicago Christian Knights, who had claimed wins in four of five tries this season.

With the Knights rallying back and marching down the field easily, Aidan Pomeroy broke through the line, tackling the Knights' running back on a 4th-and-3 play. Chicago Christian was only 13 yards away from trying to tie the game with 6:16 to play.

"I saw the running back coming in; I just knew I had to step up and make a play," Pomeroy said, " Big time right there.

"They kept coming up at our defensive ends on that play." said Pomeroy, adding it was one of his biggest tackles of the season. " I just had to step up and produce right there. I just waited for the running back to come up because he (the lineman) left me unblocked."

Then with the Green Wave facing a critical 4th-and-10 situation with 1:20 remaining in the contest, wide receiver Anthony Cirrincoine leaned all 6-foot-4 of his body out to one-hand grab a pass. His momentum flung him to the turf and he tightly held on at the 33-yard line. That first down allowed St. Edward new life, ticking the final 80 seconds away for its third consecutive triumph.

"I just saw that ball coming and reached my hands out and caught that," said Cirrincoine. "I thought I was going to get it.

"It was just amazing," Cirrincoine said. "I just caught that ball and I knew we were going to win that game."

In the second half, the Green Wave relied on the workhorse of the battle, quarterback Nick Wright, who ran for gains of 26 and 27 yards before scoring up the middle with 2:59 left for a 21-7 lead. For the night, he rushed on over 40 plays.

"Someone landed on my leg and I heard a crack," said Wright, who continued to run on it for 10 plays after. "You can't leave the battlefield for pain, you can only leave for injuries.

After all those plays, he had one favorite run.

"When I went across the outside to get that first down to seal the game."

But another favorite play came to his mind.

"That pass to Anthony Cirrincoine at the end of the game."

Wright was surprised that the pass was available and open.

"I threw it up there and he made a play ... game over," he said.

During the first half, Chicago Christian was limited to just six plays, compared to 48 plays for St. Edward.

At midfield in the second quarter, James Briscoe watched a Chicago Christian pass come right to him. Briscoe described the interception.

"I just was reading the defense," said Briscoe. "I saw the slant from the outside and I saw the insides run it out, so I just read the coverage. I was a little shocked (being in open field space) but I was prepared. That's all that matters, we got our team win."

Another crucial moment was a roughing the punter call against Chicago Christian in the second quarter, resulting in a first down and eventual score. On a fourth down with 7 yards to go, Zeke Rolando threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to an all-alone streaking Liam Pomeroy, who had curled to the outside, the Green Wave sidelines yelling touchdown before he snared the ball. That lifted St. Edward into a 14-0 halftime lead.

"I just saw the safety and the corner converge (pull) up," Pomeroy recalled." I just ran a corner route out to the sideline ... it was touchdown from there."

When that ball was sailing in the air, he remembered his thoughts.

"Touchdown ... that's it," Pomeroy said.

Next week, St. Edward will need all the touchdowns it can get and another tough defensive stand as the Green Wave travel to face two-time defending Class 4A state champion IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst.