After a tough loss to Mt. Carmel last week, Benet Academy is looking for a bounce-back game against fellow Purple Division foe, St. Patrick. In last season’s matchup, the Redwings walked away with a 49-30 victory over the Shamrocks. Both teams enter tonight’s game with a 3-2 record and 1-0 in division play. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Catron reaches the end zone first
St. Patrick runs and receives the ball to begin the game and drives all the way down to the five-yard line, and Joseph Costanzo is on the field to cap it off with a field goal. However, Benet’s Patrick Porcelli times his jump perfectly and gets his hand on the ball. Tremendous effort on the blocked field goal keeps the game scoreless.
Later in the quarter, Gavin Gardiner drops back to pass and goes deep and Costanzo comes down with it right on the goal-line. On the very next play, Anthony Catron gets the carry and he follows a good push by his offensive line and reaches the endzone. St. Patrick strikes first, it’s 7-0 with three minutes left in the first.
Now in the second quarter, quarterback Ben Clevenger is back from a one-game absence and he makes his presence felt early. This tough 20-yard run has Benet on the cusp of tying this game up. Moments later, Joe Salvino takes the handoff and plows forward for six. The Redwings tie the game up at 7-7 early in the second quarter.
After a stop, the Benet offense is back on the field. Clevenger drops back looking for a screen pass, but the Shamrocks pass rush makes him change his plans. He scrambles a bit before finding some open space down the sideline and he’s able to advance all the way into the red zone. The 37-yard run has Benet in scoring position again.
St. Patrick was able to force a fourth down, which brings Michael Conway on the field for a FG attempt. The hold is good and Conway shoots it right through the upright. Benet goes up 10-7 midway through the second quarter. On the ensuing Shamrock drive, Catron has the ball again. He sidesteps a couple of defenders but Luke Crowder gets his hand on the ball and jars it loose and then dives on the free ball. The strip and recovery by Crowder gives Benet possession in St. Patrick territory.
The Redwings build a lead before halftime with great play design
Minutes later, Clevenger rolls to his right, looking for options. He turns to his left and finds a wide-open Luca Diomede leaking into the flat, and he will stroll into the endzone untouched. With that, the Redwings extend their lead to 17-7 with three minutes left in the half. Now in the third quarter, the Shamrocks are down 17-10 after a field goal by Costanzo. Gardiner fakes the handoff to Catron and then unloads a deep one downfield to Timmy Schayer, and he’s got a touchdown. St. Patrick ties it up midway through the third quarter.
Just minutes later, the Shamrocks offense is back on the field and Jayden Miranda takes the handoff. He finds a huge hole in the defense and he is off to the races. Nobody is near him as he strides into the end-zone. St. Patrick takes the lead 24-17. After another stop, the St. Patrick offense is on the move again. Catron has another redzone carry and he runs through a couple tackles and nearly takes this one all the way. But he’ll get another crack at it and this time he’s in easily. Catron’s second touchdown run extends the Shamrock lead 32-17 with ten minutes left in the game.
St. Patrick runs ahead
Luke Doyle has some impressive kickoff returns this year and St. Patrick is giving him another opportunity. He picks up some good blocks and cuts up the field. He advances into Shamrock territory and his knocked out of bounds near the 30-yard line. Benet is down two possessions with nine minutes left to play.
Moments later, Clevenger drops back, looks deep, and gives Diomede a chance to go one-on-one with his defender and wins the battle in the endzone. He completes the contested catch and Benet makes it a one-score game again. It’s now 32-24
St. Patrick runs hard on the next drive, and they continue to ride with Catron. This time he finds the hole right in the middle and he hits it with speed. No one’s going to catch him as he crosses the goal-line for the third time in the evening. St. Patrick would tack on another touchdown late as they go on to defeat Benet 46-24, advancing to 4-2 on the season.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
