Montini turns to defense
Montini coach Chris Andriano is starting to sound like a broken record.
"Our defense won the turnover battle again," he said Friday after the host Broncos beat St. Francis 27-8 in a Chicago Catholic League Green Division game at Duffy Memorial Stadium in Lombard.
Caleb Stevenson and John Embrey each intercepted 2 passes, Embrey returning one 31 yards for a touchdown. The scoreboard was still warm from that when Cooper Hynes recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that translated into a Michael Cooney field goal.
"It's the old adage that turnovers win football games and that definitely came to that today," said Spartans coach Mike Fitzgerald.
Spartans quarterback Peter Fassnacht threw for 294 yards but St. Francis (4-3, 1-1) couldn't get on the board until 7:07 remained, a 14-yard pass to Will Purdom with Fassnacht adding the 2-point conversion pass to Tristan Bolin.
The senior completed 31 of 42 passes, including 15 for 152 yards to Brett Whelton and 12 for 123 to Purdom.
"I love those guys," Fassnacht said. "Seeing them out there running down the field, those guys will do anything for me."
Stevenson's 2 interceptions did lots for Montini (7-0, 2-0). His first, off a tipped pass right at the Broncos goal line, led to Justin Blake's 94-yard touchdown run. Stevenson's second pick generated Cooney's first field goal, a 36-yarder for a 10-0 lead at 1:09 of the first quarter.
"Our line blocked for me and got that opening, and when you get that opening you've just got to take it and use your speed," Blake said of his long jaunt.
Using a 26-yard pass to Bolin, Fassnacht directed the Spartans all the way to Montini's 1-yard line midway through the second quarter, but the Broncos held and so did the score, 10-0 at halftime.
Montini looked to put the game away in the third quarter. In the span of three plays Embrey intercepted and scored and Hynes recovered the fumbled kickoff.
"I haven't scored a touchdown in awhile," said Embrey, the bruising linebacker. "It was exciting and everybody was blocking for me, it was real special."
Montini back Prince Walker, twice denied touchdowns earlier by penalties that brought those plays back, finally ran one that counted. He broke a 44-yard touchdown run that made the score 27-0 at 10:12 of the fourth quarter. Walker finished with 136 yards rushing, Blake with 164.
"We had to come out on top this week," Blake said. "We can't come out on senior night, on our last game under the lights and go out with an 'L.' So we had to pick it up a notch."