Scouting Carmel at St. Rita
No. 3 Carmel Catholic Corsairs (10-1) at No. 2 St. Rita Mustangs (10-1)
When: 7 p.m., today
Last week: In second round action, Carmel def. Rockton Hononegah, 42-6; St. Rita def. Machesney Park Harlem, 38-21
Playoff history: Carmel, the 2003 Class 6A state champion, is making its 11th straight playoff appearance. Last year, the Corsairs were ousted in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs by Prospect, 33-13. ... St. Rita is making its 11th straight playoff appearance and 25th overall since 1978, when it beat Buffalo Grove, 15-9, for the Class 5A state title. The Mustangs captured the Class 7A crown in 2006, beating Lake Zurich, 35-21. St. Rita has lost in the quarterfinals each of the last two years.
Head coaches: Andy Bitto, Carmel; Todd Kuska, St. Rita
Just the facts: Carmel has rebounded from its only loss to Cincinnati Elder in its regular-season finale with two convincing wins. The Corsairs have scored 418 points and have allowed only 119, which includes defensive scores by Elgin and Elder and special-teams scores by Joliet Catholic and Libertyville. “I've never had a defense this good,” Bitto said. ... St. Rita has scored 326 points and has given up 145. Like Carmel, the Mustangs suffered their only loss in Week 9, to Loyola (24-21).
Carmel leaders: Rushing: Jordan Kos (163 carries, 1,360 yards, 16 touchdowns), Michael Panico (83 carries, 835 yards, 10 TDs), Brian Serio (105 carries, 703 yards, 11 TDs), Brian Brennan (53 carries, 331 yards, 6 TDs); Passing: Serio (25-of-54, 522 yards, 8 TDs, 2 interceptions); Receiving: Ryan Cappis (9 catches, 233 yards, 4 TDs); Tackles: Tyler Lees (111, 54 solo), Luke Venegoni (111, 56 solo), Kevin Cox (66, 31 solo), Mike Cohen (66, 39 solos); Interceptions: Mike Fitzgibbons (7).
St. Rita leaders: Rushing: Jahwon Akui (262 carries, 1,458 yards, 20 touchdowns), Travis Starks (73 carries, 714 yards, 8 TDS); Passing: Brandon Johnson (49-of-76, 688 yards, 5 TDs, 2 interceptions); Receiving: Mitch Safford (28 catches, 404 yards, 5 TDs).
Line on Carmel: The Corsairs are getting healthy. They welcomed back to practice this week starting slot back Matt Maher, backup safety/halfback Matt Carr and backup wide receiver Patrick Doherty, all of whom had missed significant time due to injuries. “We had no depth for a number of weeks,” Bitto said. “If we had lost another kid, we would have been in big trouble.” The Corsairs' triple-option offense has been nearly unstoppable all season. If the Corsairs don't put the ball on the ground, they're hard to keep off the scoreboard. “Carmel is as good a football team as we have played this year,” Kuska said. “They have an explosive offense with a very good O-line. They are very quick and active on defense.”
Line on St. Rita: The Mustangs' offense is led by hard-running halfback Akui, who won the Class 3A state wrestling title at 171 pounds last winter. “He's definitely the heart and soul of their I-formation offense,” Bitto said. Like Carmel, St. Rita plays on an artificial surface and runs the ball, a lot. “It's in-your-face Catholic League football three yards and a cloud of rubber,” Bitto said. Carmel won the East Suburban Catholic Conference, while St. Rita tied Mt. Carmel and Loyola for first place in the Chicago Catholic Blue. “I feel in the playoffs, when you reach this point, the game will come down to turnovers and big plays,” Kuska said. “It should be a great game, representing two great conferences.”
Joe Aguilar