Carmel wins, but there's a price

When can a huge win also be a huge loss?

When a team decisively beats one of the best programs in the state, but in the process sees one of its best players go down with a game-ending injury to his surgically repaired knee.

That's the bittersweet contradiction that Carmel experienced on Friday night in its season opener in Mundelein.

The Corsairs rolled over East Suburban Catholic Conference nemesis and defending Class 6A state champion Joliet Catholic, 24-12.

But late in the third quarter, fullback Jackson Davenport, who was lauded during the preseason for his talent and athleticism and had already gained 74 yards on 15 carries, felt his left knee crack when he was hit at the end of a play.

Davenport sat the entire fourth quarter while medical personnel examined him and scrambled to make appointments for X-rays and an MRI.

Davenport, visibly shaken, seemed to be fearing the worst. He already missed all of last football season after tearing the ACL in the same knee during baseball season the spring before.

"I really don't know what's going on, I'm just hoping it's not the ACL again," said Davenport, who scored Carmel's first touchdown - a 31-yard run with 4:17 left in the first quarter. "I just want it to be anything minor, anything where I can get back as soon as I can. "

If Davenport must sit temporarily, at least he'll know that his spot will be in good hands.

Sean Madison took over at fullback after Davenport left the game and wound up with 71 yards on 13 carries. He also scored Carmel's final touchdown - a 27-yard run with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter - to put the Hilltoppers away for good.

"Madison's a real good player and he did a nice job out there tonight, but he also plays halfback for us so if he has to be in for Jackson, we'll be short somewhere," Bitto said. "But I think our running game is still pretty good. We had their defense out on the field a lot in the second half."

And in the first half, too.

The Corsairs were up 17-0 by halftime, thanks to Davenport's run, a 21-yard Jimmy Miller field goal and a 23-yard run by quarterback Andrew Nerup, who started at wide receiver for Carmel last year.

Meanwhile, Carmel's defense dominated Joliet Catholic, which mustered just 51 total yards in the first half. Joliet Catholic quarterback Matt Ginnetti was also sacked twice in the half for big losses.

"They're as good as any team that Coach Bitto has had," Joliet Catholic coach Dan Sharp said. "They've got a great running game, tremendous line play and their quarterback looked very good. Defensively , they were more of an attacking defense and with us having 95 percent of our kids new, it was difficult for us to adjust to that."

Joliet Catholic returned just one offensive starter and three defensive starters from last year's state championship team. But that doesn't mean the Corsairs see their win as being cheapened.

"Playing a team like this is a big game for us," Nerup said. "It's a playoff experience whenever you play those guys. We really wanted to show them what we had."

Joliet Catholic scored back-to-back touchdowns over the last four minutes of the third quarter - on a 67-yard pass from Ginnetti to Tyler Hudetz and a 93-yard interception return by Zach Dolph - but never seriously threatened Carmel's lead.