Marmion reflects on magical season

CHAMPAIGN -- Almost a dream come true.

That's how Marmion felt after losing 48-19 to Rockford Boylan on Saturday in the Class 6A state championship. They'd done something no other Marmion team had ever done yet left Memorial Stadium unsatisfied.

"We had a great season, it just didn't end the way we wanted it to end," said Cadets senior Nick Scoliere, who scored 2 of Marmion's 3 touchdowns. "The loss at the end doesn't take away anything from our season, it just makes it end on a sour note. It's just unfortunate that's what we've got to remember."

Marmion lost 12 fumbles through 13 games while advancing to its first state championship in program history. The Cadets' uncharacteristic 4 lost fumbles and 2 interceptions and Boylan's 213 yards rushing combined to dig a hole too deep to climb out of.

"We have nothing to be ashamed of. We've worked hard, we've come a long way. The boys earned the right to be here," said assistant head coach Kurt Becker.

"Unfortunately, today we didn't play the best game that we've played. When you turn the ball over six times you can't expect to win. That's pretty plain and simple. And when you turn it over six times against a good team, your chances are really diminished."

Marmion, which returned a boatload of talent from last year's second-round playoff team and inaugural Suburban Christian Conference Blue Division titleist, considered its chance of reaching Champaign months ago.

"Did we think it was possible?" Cadets coach Dan Thorpe asked rhetorically. "Yeah, I guess we thought it was possible.

"We have some excellent athletes in Nick, Mike Carbonara and T.J. (Lally) and the Glasgows (brothers Graham and Ryan). "We've also been lucky, we stayed healthy. We stayed healthy because we're in great condition and great weight-lifting."

"We worked so hard in the off-season," noted all-state running back-linebacker Lally, who capped his senior season with 1,389 yards rushing, 18 touchdowns and 152 tackles including a Class 6A title-game record 18 tackles.

"This is the only thing that we wanted to get," Lally said. "We wouldn't have felt like it was a successful season unless we got here. To actually accomplish one of your goals, that is still an incredible feeling. We just wish we would have finished more."

"Our school's never made it to a state championship game," said quarterback Bobby Peters. "You can't knock that."

Peters joined several teammates in acknowledging the effect Marmion's fans had on their march to Memorial Stadium. They loaded up the bleachers at Danville in the semifinals, and cheered the Cadets after Saturday's game ended.

"We had some of the greatest fan support I've ever seen while at Marmion, no matter what sport. It's been the best season I've been a part of as a football player," said junior two-way lineman Ryan Glasgow, who literally played alongside his brother for the first time since "pee-wee football" in DeKalb.

Offensive lineman Jake Winkel, lugging the 6A runner-up trophy, said: "I'm just going to remember our fans and the atmosphere here. Obviously the outcome didn't come out the way we wanted, but we played hard, we had a ton of fun."

Lally was asked if 2010 was a culmination or if such juniors as Mike Shares, A.J. Friedman, Garret Becker, Kyle Kozak, Rob Voirin and the bulk of the defensive line - Ryan Glasgow, Tyler Boyd, Blake Mickey and Mike Eberth - would continue playing championship-caliber football.

"I think things are really looking up for Marmion football," Lally said. "We're going to be tough for a long time, I think."

As Becker - a member of the Chicago Bears' 1985 Super Bowl team - noted, "to take it to the next level you've just got to push it a little extra harder."

Marmion's seniors may initially regret coming here for second place.

"As close as you can get," Lally said sadly.

It's a fine line between a dream realized and one that almost comes true. What remains is still special.

"It's a magical season," Thorpe said. "They don't realize what they accomplished, but Marmion nation does, and the coaches know what they accomplished."