Gitchell's 5 TD passes spark Montini's first win
Montini might get starting quarterback Matt Westerkamp back from a sprained shoulder soon.
If Friday was any indication, the offense is in good hands with Kurt Gitchell.
Gitchell completed 17 of 24 passes for 224 yards and 5 touchdowns, and Montini avoided an 0-3 start to the season with a 42-14 win over Walther Lutheran in Lombard.
Montini coach Chris Andriano saw a much different Gitchell under center in his second start.
"Now I think the game is starting to slow down for him, where he's able to see everything," Andriano said. "The game was just moving too fast for him the first couple weeks."
Two of Gitchell's touchdowns went to Anthony Taylor, who didn't need to be reminded the dire need for a win Friday.
"Starting off the season 0-2," Taylor said, "made this game a must win. This is a conference game and we're trying to go undefeated in conference. Must win."
Taylor's gorgeous one-handed grab of a Gitchell pass down the middle went for a 21-yard touchdown and 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
"When he threw it I kind of thought he overthrew it," Taylor said. "Somehow I stuck my hand out there and brought it in."
Walther Lutheran (1-2, 0-1 Suburban Christian Blue) tied the game for the second time at 14-14 on an Andre Cooper 6-yard touchdown run with 1:59 left in the half. But Gitchell executed the two-minute offense to perfection, taking Montini 55 yards in 11 plays. A 3-yard scoring strike to a leaping Taylor with 2.3 seconds left nudged Montini ahead 21-14 at half.
The home team never looked back.
"Big momentum turn for us," Taylor said.
Gitchell capped the first drive of the third quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Westerkamp and later hooked up with Joey Borsellino and Frank Baer for scores.
Montini's spread offense hummed, scoring on five straight drives.
"I feel very good about Kurt," Andriano said. "He's done a nice job. We're on him and riding him hard and he's getting better. He's responded.
"He's starting to get more comfortable and starting to see the field better. He's starting to now get the rhythm of the offense."
Montini's defense kept Northwestern recruit Sean Cotton corraled in the second half. The Walther Lutheran quarterback rushed for 62 yards - just 15 of those in the second half - on 16 carries and threw for 85 yards, 22 after halftime.
Walther Lutheran fields just 24 varsity players.
"They got some athletes - Cotton is a player," Andriano said. "We knew that they were going to make some plays on us. But we knew we could wear them down if we just kept playing hard up front."