DeKalb's Tucker wears out Carmel Catholic
Carmel Catholic coach Andy Bitto tried to remember the last time he saw a performance quite like the one that visiting DeKalb wide receiver/kick returner Cole Tucker put together Friday night, as the Barbs visited Mundelein for a nonconference contest.
Tucker, who has verbally committed to Northern Illinois, took 2 kicks back for touchdowns. He also grabbed a pair of touchdown passes to help lift DeKalb to a 38-10 romp over the Corsairs.
But in the 19 years Bitto has been the coach at Carmel, he couldn't remember ever seeing a special team's performance like he saw from Tucker.
"I don't think in my career, 19 years that I have coached, that we have ever given up two special teams touchdowns like that," Bitto said. "That really changes the outlook of the game when you get plays like that."
Tucker struck quickly for the visitors. Following a stop by the stingy DeKalb defense, Tucker took the Carmel punt and returned it 47 yards for the score and a 7-0 lead just over 2 minutes in.
After Carmel responded with a 20-yard Matt Hellenn field goal, Tucker, even to his own surprise, got another chance. This time he burst down the far sidelines for an 88-yard score and a lead of 14-3 for DeKalb (2-0).
"After the punt return, I didn't think (Carmel) would kick to me," Tucker said. "I'm just happy that they did."
Carmel, which played without starting quarterback Jeremy Strutzel, turned to junior Miles Tramill to engineer a drive to close the half. After fighting off a admitted case of the nerves, Tramill returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to ignite the drive for Carmel (1-1).
"I was nervous until I took that first hit, then I was fine after that," said Tramill who made his first varsity start.
His 8-yard scoring pass to Joel Basara with :44 seconds left in the first half seemed to give the Corsairs all the momentum they needed entering the half.
But then there was that Tucker fellow again.
Tucker closed the first half much like he started it. This time the 6-2 senior hauled in a perfectly placed 9-yard touchdown pass from Derek Kyler to put the Barbs up two scores just before half at 21-10.
"He is such a weapon," DeKalb coach Matt Weckler said. "We preach special teams and execution in the two-minute, and when it all comes together like it did tonight, it kind of validates what we preach as coaches."
The second half was complete domination from the DeKalb defense. While Tucker put up his second touchdown catch of the night, the Barbs defense limited the potent Carmel rushing attack to just 32 total yards after halftime and held it to 102 for the night. Leading rusher Rondel Jamison was kept to 75 yards rushing.
"We were coming in taking (Jamison) away," Weckler said. "We were going to make the other guys beat us tonight, and our nose guards and defensive tackles did a great job."
Strutzel injured his shoulder during Wednesday's practice but is expected to return next Friday night when Carmel hosts Marist.