Montini 34, SHG 24
Now we see why after a dozen football seasons Montini veered from the option offense.
Heading the Broncos' new spread offense, junior quarterback Tom DiCristina completed 16 of 21 passes for 278 yards with touchdown strikes of 61 and 48 yards. He added 15 carries for 67 yards with a 16-yard touchdown run.
Snapping two-time defending Class 5A state champion Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin's victory streak at 28 games, Montini beat the Cyclones for the first time in six tries, 34-24 on Saturday at Benedictine University in Lisle.
Behind offensive linemen Zach Shuta, Dave Lembas, Mike Desmond and Division I recruits Garrett Goebel and Chuck Porcelli, who average 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, DiCristina felt no pressure being the big right arm directing the new scheme.
"Not really," he said. "I'm more of a passing quarterback, you know? And out of that you can run. I was pretty happy with it.
"We've got three Division I scholarship players on the team, full rides. Two of them are on the offensive line. So I felt pretty comfortable back there."
Montini and Sacred Heart-Griffin -- whose quarterback, lefty Tim Dondanville, was 31 of 45 for 325 yards with 2 touchdown passes also out of a spread -- engaged in a first-half shootout that saw points scored on seven straight possessions.
Montini drew first blood on Wisconsin-bound senior Dex Jones' 3-yard run. Sacred Heart-Griffin's Josh Gossard followed with a 25-yard field goal.
DiCristina then found Brian Zirko all alone for a 61-yard, 1-play touchdown drive to give the Broncos a 14-3 lead after the first quarter.
The Cyclones moved 65 yards to pull within 14-10, but Montini answered with a 67-yard drive. Aided by a 31-yard screen pass to John Borsellino, DiCristina finished with his 16-yard touchdown run.
Sacred Heart-Griffin scored again on Dominic Walton's 15-yard play-action catch to cut Montini's lead to 21-17 just 53.5 seconds before halftime.
Montini's old option set may have been challenged in this situation, but Borsellino made it 28-17 at the half on a 48-yard touchdown grab. DiCristina actually released the ball some 55 yards from the end zone.
"Tommy has a really, really strong arm. And he has great feet to match it, too," said Borsellino, who made 9 catches for 122 yards and scored on a 1-yard run to give Montini a 34-17 lead with 2:06 left in the game.
Montini's 4-3 defense, which allowed Sacred Heart-Griffin 94 yards rushing in the first half, gave up 19 on the ground in the second.
Grant Goebel, Garrett's junior brother, made the game's sole interception and later covered Sacred Heart-Griffin's onside kick after the Cyclones scored with 25.8 seconds left.
Montini's 1-5 record last year against teams above .500 forced coach Chris Andriano to make changes. Saturday they came to fruition.
"We have all the confidence in our kids," he said, "we have confidence in our coaching staff. It was fun watching it tonight from the sideline."