Mount Carmel beats top-ranked Loyola, begins living up to all the preseason hype

The road to the Class 8A state championship goes through Loyola and Mount Carmel. The teams have won the last four titles. So Friday’s regular-season finale between the state powerhouses had been circled on many calendars for months.

Over those months, the teams switched positions. The Caravan dropped from the top spot in the Super 25 and Loyola ascended to No. 1.

Friday in Wilmette, the dominant football team Mount Carmel saw itself as, and that many others envisioned back in August, started to become a reality.

The No. 4 Caravan dominated top-ranked Loyola much more than the 38-21 score indicates. Both teams pulled their starters with Mount Carmel leading by 24 in the final six minutes.

“There is a tendency to believe all the stuff they read,” Ramblers coach John Holecek said. “Now they understand we have to get better and we can’t make mistakes.”

The Ramblers (8-1, 2-1 CCL Blue) headed into the showdown against Mount Carmel (7-2, 2-1) averaging 36 points against a tough schedule. Both the passing and rushing games were putting up impressive yardage totals.

The Caravan held Loyola to just 31 rushing yards.

“All week during practice, especially after we lost that [Brother Rice] game, we knew we had to step up,” Mount Carmel linebacker Roman Igwebuike said. “After practice, this is easy. We come after it every day. We came out tonight, and we knew we had to put it all on the line.”

Ramblers quarterback Matthew Lee was 13-for-24 for 177 yards with two touchdowns.

“Hopefully it goes another way if we have to play them again,” Holecek said. “[Mount Carmel] is a heck of a team. They are a very good team, and their speed was on display tonight.”

Mount Carmel quarterback Brady Cloherty was 19-for-33 for 382 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. He’s developed a connection with junior tight end Ty Kennedy, who also transferred to the school this year. Kennedy had eight catches for 116 yards.

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Duran Sims had three catches for 99 yards, and Quentin Burrell and Marshaun Thornton each caught touchdown passes.

Thornton’s score was a 99-yard explosion down the sideline. It came immediately after Mount Carmel’s defense stopped Loyola on a fourth-and-goal at the 1.

“Look at the last three weeks,” Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch said. “Our defense was playing tough. I know the opponents probably weren’t on par with Loyola, so this was the true test. Defense came out fast.”

Senior defensive back and team captain Cullen Winters returned from injury to play for the first time since the start of the
season.

“He’s really our communicator on the back end, so having him back is a big step for us,” Igwebuike, a Notre Dame recruit, said. “After those two losses we started to get the feel of it. Everyone counting us out really gave us that chip on our shoulder that we haven’t had in a while.”

Mount Carmel safety Tavares Harrington, a Michigan recruit, was crucial to slowing Loyola's running game.

“He’s a great athlete,” Holecek said. “It is hard to put a pad on him. Hats off, they played a great game.”

The Illinois High School Association releases the playoff pairings tomorrow night. Both teams will earn a top 16 seed and a bye in the Opening Round. They could meet again as soon as the third game of the playoffs.

Mount Carmel’s win means the Caravan, Loyola and Brother Rice will share the CCL Blue title. All three are 2-1 in conference, and there is no tiebreaker.