Nerup, Carmel pass up Nazareth
The forward pass has tended to be a foreign concept to the Carmel offense over the years.
But on Saturday, when senior quarterback Andrew Nerup and the Corsairs' offense chose to throw the ball, they did so with a large amount of success.
In Saturday's final regular-season game, Nerup and the Corsairs went to the air just four times, but connected twice to help Carmel pick up a big road win at Nazareth 35-3.
The Corsairs finished the regular season 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the East Suburban Catholic. Carmel will open up the state playoffs at home next week against Wheeling. Nazareth, which played without standout junior running back LaSteven McKinney, will continue into the Class 5A playoffs after finishing the regular season 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the conference.
"I think our passing all comes from our running game," Nerup said. "I think with the way Mike (Taylor) runs the ball and the way we move it on the ground, it helps the passing game."
The ground attack put the Corsairs up 14-0 midway through the second quarter. Nerup accounted for the first score to cap an 11-play, 76-yard drive. Then Taylor, who rushed for 120 of his 129 yards in the first half, busted off a 64-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter and Carmel was on its way.
"(Nerup) is making good decisions - better decisions on the offense, which is making him a complete player," Carmel coach Andy Bitto said. "His passing and his fakes are so much better and he is really taking that extra drop to take a better read in the passing game."
After narrowly missing in the passing game early in the second quarter, Nerup and Matt Felicelli connected on a 30-yard scoring strike just before half to put the Corsairs up 21-3 going into intermission.
Felicelli and Nerup hooked up again late in the third quarter, this time from 64 yards away as the Corsairs got some distance.
"Any time you can win on the road in this league, it's a big thing," Bitto said.
"I think that sometimes, and I can't believe I am saying this, a loss is a good thing and ever since the Marist game in Week 3, I think the guys have learned that they have to play with that fire and emotion each week."