Pircon, Marmion are big-time against Montini

It could have been longer cleats, or senior night.

Or something else could have energized Marmion running back Matt Pircon.

"We told Matt that big-time players have to make big plays in big games," said Cadets coach Dan Thorpe. "And if you think you are a big-time player - and we think you are a big-time player - you have to go out and make plays."

Pircon listened and led Marmion to an 18-7 Suburban Christian Conference Blue win over Montini on Friday in Aurora. It gave Marmion a win over the Broncos and a conference title both for the first time since 1998.

After games of minus-6, 30, 27 and 27 yards rushing, Pircon ran on wet turf for 83 yards, plus 62 yards receiving. He had a 42-yard touchdown run, a 20-yard touchdown catch, a pass interception and a key block on Adam Andras' long, late touchdown run.

"I couldn't do it without my line (Graham Glasgow, Connor English, Mike Gallaway, Jeff McLean, Jake Winkel)," said Pircon, who acknowledged the coaching motivation. "I ran with the ball, that's not that special, but another kid decleated another and that's all we needed."

Pircon got to the second level and was gone from the Montini 42 to cap the first series for Marmion (8-1, 4-0), which lost only its opener to South Elgin. Pircon earned his pick four plays later, one of two first-half interceptions for Montini (5-4, 1-3). The Broncos also fumbled 4 times in the rain, losing 3.

"It was a good advantage for us having the wet field because it made it difficult for them to throw the football," said Marmion linebacker-fullback Bobby Winkel, who ran 16 times for 48 yards. "It was actually easy for us because we're primarily a running team and pounding it up the middle was what we did all night."

Marmion took its 6-0 lead into halftime, but Montini went up 7-6 at 8:01 of the third quarter on Doug Diedrick's 1-yard blast and Matt Kersten's extra point, holder Tom Lentine handling the snap.

Marmion quickly countered, marching 70 yards to score on Brian Peters' rollout pass to Pircon, who escaped a tackle at the 5-yard line outraced pursuit for a 12-7 Cadets lead.

Montini moved all the way to first-and-goal at Marmion's 4-yard line but fell short after T.J. Lally's tackle for loss and Nick Scoliere's fourth-down pass defense.

With 2:05 left Marmion needed only a first down, but Andras' 85-yard touchdown run, escorted by Pircon, clinched it.

"We knew they were conference champs no matter what, win or lose," said Montini linebacker-running back Ryan Gorrell, who led the Broncos with 75 yards rushing. "We just wanted to pick up this win, get some momentum for the playoffs. We played a hard game, and that should give us some momentum into the playoffs anyway."