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Carmel dominates St. Viator in 2nd half

Carmel leaned hard in St. Viator Friday in Arlington Heights.

Carmel wore Viator down and dominated play in the second half as the Corsairs cruised past the Lions 28-14 in the CCL/ESCC Purple opener.

Carmel (4-0, 1-0) is off to its best start since 2010 when it opened their season with eight consecutive wins. The Corsairs broke away from a 7-7 tie at the half, scoring three touchdowns, including two in the final quarter, to put the game away.

They also dominated the action, running 72 plays to Viator's 29.

"We came out in the second half and played true to who we are," Carmel coach Jason McKie said. "We started figuring them out. They did some things that we did not see before."

Carmel had a 16-play, 66-yard drive early in the third quarter to pull ahead for good. Kyle Lynch scored on a three-yard run to make it 14-7.

Carmel then used its huge offensive line of Tommy Lamberti, Kristan Coleman, Anthony Ruscitti, Jackson Reasoner and Logan Zupancic to wear down the Lions.

Phillip Goodrich scored on a 1-yard run and Lynch had a 14-yard run to make it 28-7.

"We came out in the second half and played hard," said Lynch, who had 21 carries for 127 yards. "Our O-line came out and blocked hard on every single play."

Carmel and quarterback Jonathan Weber (22-of-28, 238 yards) had an impressive drive to put the Corsairs up 7-0.

After a St. Viator punt, Carmel took over at its own one. The Corsairs then drove 99 yards in 10 plays with Weber completing 6-of-7 for 97 yards including an 8-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Del Re.

St. Viator then came up with a pair of plays to get the Lions back in the game.

Ethan Angst came up with a huge interception to thwart a Carmel drive. Two plays later Charlie Dolsen connected with Nicky Pastore for a 67-yard catch and run that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Michael Nix to tie the game at 7-7 with 7:18 left in the first half.

The Carmel defense, led by Nicholas Junge, Blake Wendt, Harlon May, Kwintin King, Phillip Goodrich and Trent Zimay, stymied St. Viator in the second half.

The Lions did finally break free late in the game and scored on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Dolsen to Nix to cut the lead to 28-14 with 1:48 to play.

St. Viator recovered the ensuing inside kick. But May ended the threat with an interception to seal the win.

"I thought we came out firing," St. Viator coach Dave Archibald said. "I was proud of the first half effort. Not that were lacking effort in the second half, we just didn't execute."

  Carmel's Anthony Pretto stretches for an interception in a football game against St. Viator in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Dayvion Ellis makes a catch in front of Carmel's Dev'ion Reynolds in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Carmel quarterback Johnny Weber signals to the sidelines in a football game against St. Viator in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Jayden Franzen catches Carmel quarterback Johnny Weber in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Carmel's Jarren Black stretches for the ball as St. Viator's Michael Tauscher and Driese Raap pursue in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Jake VanBooven tries to squeeze through the Carmel defense in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Jake VanBooven tries to get past Carmel's Kyle Lynch in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Charlie Dolsen looks for a receiver against Carmel in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Jake VanBooven makes a move to get through Carmel defense in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Carmel's Johnny Weber fakes a handoff to Donovan Dey in a football game against St. Viator in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Matthew Welch makes an open-field tackle on Carmel's Jarren Black in a football game in Arlington Heights on Friday, September 16, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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