Battered St. Viator battles past Nazareth

St. Viator was battered and beaten up Friday night.

And that was before its East Suburban Catholic Conference football game with visiting Nazareth at Forest View in Arlington Heights.

The Lions weren't going to get any healthier during the game. Overcoming two early deficits and emerging with a 34-21 victory was the perfect prescription for their mounting aches and pains.

"We're scrappy and we're going to keep fighting until the final whistle," said Viator senior quarterback Cameron Korab, who accounted for 336 total yards and 4 touchdowns after missing last week's loss to Carmel with a high right ankle sprain.

"We're definitely a tough team," said Viator senior running back Jimmy Menges, who scored the final touchdown after making two trips to the hospital this week because he was coughing up blood from esophagitis. "Especially the seniors. None of us want to miss a game and we'll try to get healthy and get back."

Linebacker Marcus Niro played with a separated shoulder and was part of a Viator (3-1, 1-1) defense that stopped four possessions inside its 25. Middle linebacker Mike Krzoska was also nicked up and missed the last six minutes of the first half.

Center Brian Pichardo was sidelined for a stretch after rolling an ankle. But Ryan Kelly stepped in while he was out and teamed with Mac Mastrangeli, Michael Ferrazzuolo, Roy Pettingill and Sean Carney to lead the way to 372 total yards.

"We had to fight through a lot of injuries this week," Pichardo said. "But we got healthy and everybody stepped up."

Especially Korab after what he said was a week filled with therapy, ice, elevation and prayers.

He was 18-for-26 for 225 yards passing with a 1-yard touchdown to Nick Frett (5 catches, 72 yards). Korab's 27-yard touchdown toss on the right sideline, where freshman call-up Ore Arogundade fought off an interfering defender, put the Lions up to stay 2:49 before halftime at 21-14.

"We fully expected a good game out of him and we got it," Pichardo said.

"Cameron knows how to run the offense," said Viator coach Chris Kirkpatrick, who is hoping standout defensive lineman Anthony Pensa can come back next week from a torn ACL. "He makes the right throws and gets it done."

Korab's ankle didn't hamper his running ability as he had 111 yards. His 59-yard score tied it at 14-14 and his 7-yard run made it 28-14 with 5:01 to play in the third quarter.

"All the credit goes to the line," said Korab, who sat the final five minutes to rest his sore ankle. "They worked so hard this week on checks and line assignments.

"The defense played outstanding and gave me the ball. We put it all together tonight."

Nazareth (2-2, 0-2) got within 28-21 when Matt Behrendt (19-for-37, 281 yards) scrambled and found Joe DeSimone for a 93-yard score with 3:37 left in the third.

But Conner Murphy forced 2 fumbles recovered by Mike Wolf and Krzoska and Louie Capozzoli had a fourth-quarter interception for Viator. Jack Kellner, Niro, Justin Johnson and Frank Laterza made big plays early in the fourth to keep Nazareth out of the end zone and preserve a 13-point lead.

"We gave up a few big plays but we came together at the end," Menges said. "We had some big defensive stops that really helped us out."

Menges' 1-yard touchdown with 11:09 left finished an 11-play, 73-yard drive. He caught 6 passes for 64 yards and rushed for 40 yards despite spending nearly eight hours in the emergency room Wednesday and having a scope put down his throat Thursday.

But there was no doubt in his mind where he was going to be Friday night.

"I was playing," Menges said.

No surprise there.