They can come back, too
Immaculate Conception on Saturday presented Driscoll with a unique opportunity thus far this football season.
Playing from behind.
Once Driscoll got its footing it reverted to the norm, beating Suburban Catholic Conference foe IC 37-21 at Lewis Stadium in Elmhurst.
The IC Knights started with a defensive stop and followed with a 6-play touchdown drive, the first time this year Driscoll (5-0, 3-0) has trailed.
The Highlanders answered with 31 unanswered points, compiled 528 yards of offense and collected turnovers at key points for IC (2-3, 1-2).
"They always play us tough. Each year, whatever they have, they bring it," said Driscoll back Tim Franken, who ran for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass from David Schwabe, who was 21-of-34 passing for 325 yards.
"I think our team, with the experience we have, we overcome adversity pretty well," Franken said. "I was confident that we'd get over it and we did."
His counterpart, Jonathon Ellis, took his first carry 15 yards, ran his second 41 yards to the Driscoll 2-yard line, then dove in behind tackle Matt Purdom. Kicker Jack Dempsey gave IC a 7-0 lead.
"That's what we wanted to do, but unfortunately we didn't do that all game. That's really what came back and bit us," Ellis said after gaining 137 yards on 20 carries.
Driscoll tied 7-7 on Joey Calabrese's 32-yard touchdown catch and Brett Warren's kick -- "we just wanted to keep our poise," coach Mike Burzawa said -- then IC displayed the line between execution and the lack of it.
First, the Knights had first-and-10 at the Driscoll 13-yard line but scored no points.
Early in the second quarter Brendan Ryan intercepted Schwabe for the first time this season. The Knights fumbled the ball right back. One play later Schwabe hit Austin Baker on a 24-yard touchdown pass for a 14-7 lead.
IC missed another chance down 17-7 early in the third quarter. Chris Mulligan recovered a fumble at the Driscoll 24, but the Knights fumbled again. When they looked up Driscoll led 31-7 on 29- and 12-yard Franken jaunts.
"We have to be able to do a better job of securing the football and executing," IC coach Bill Schmidt said. "And we haven't done those with consistency."
Ryan's 90-yard kickoff return behind a Robert Peachey block cut the deficit to 31-14 entering the fourth quarter, but Franken's 15-yard touchdown catch with 8:32 left was too much to overcome.
"The positive," Ryan said, "is you came out, you hit them hard. The difference in the game, though, is just lack of execution."