Flag football: Carmel avenges only loss, beats Libertyville to reach sectional final

Take a bow, Luke Anen.

Your older sister, Carmel Catholic sophomore linebacker Katherine Anen, praised you after a flag football game Monday afternoon.

“He taught me how to dodge,” big sis said of Luke, a freshman lacrosse player at Carmel.

Ms. Anen used the dart-like move — to the right and to the left — to pierce her way into Libertyville’s offensive backfield time and time again, finishing with a pair of sacks (minus-12 yards) and countless quarterback hurries in the Corsairs’ 27-13 win in the first Buffalo Grove sectional semifinal.

“It has helped me a lot, learning from my brother,” Anen said after first-seeded Carmel (21-1) avenged its lone loss (28-27 at Libertyville on Sept. 3) of the season. Carmel will play Glenbrook South on Tuesday for the sectional title.

Carmel’s defense came up big in reaching its second sectional final in as many seasons, picking off three passes to go with 2 pass bat-downs from lively senior linebacker Ayo Akingbesote.

Senior safety Jaliyah Quarles, junior safety Grace Booher and senior linebacker Colleen Graham came down with the interceptions.

Corsairs junior slot receiver Maliyah Mays had an October day to remember, rushing 7 times for 117 yards and 2 TDs. Her last carry — an 88-yard touchdown in the third quarter, upping the lead to 27-7 — featured a sharp cut to the left after the first 10 yards and at least 3 jukes.

“That TD,” Anen recalled, “got us all jumping up and down. Our coach (Ben Berg) got pretty excited and vocal, too.”

Carmel will face second-seeded Glenbrook South in Tuesday’s sectional final at 6 p.m. South’s Titans defeated reigning state champion and sixth-seeded Fremd 24-12 in Monday’s second sectional semifinal.

Berg’s bunch stopped fifth-seeded Libertyville (14-4) on Monday’s first possession and then tallied the semi’s first TD, a 5-yard pass from senior quarterback Josie Hartman (12 of 15 passing, 126 yards, 2 TDs) to senior wide receiver Maron Bowes at 7:01 of the first quarter.

Bowes suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury at the end of Carmel’s next possession and did not return.

Carmel’s second TD drive covered 45 yards in the second quarter. Three plays after a 26-yard Booher reception, Mays scored her first TD via a 1-yard burst, making it a 13-0 game at 4:27 of the second quarter.

Libertyville’s Wildcats then produced its best drive, an 86-yard journey capped off by freshman QB Quinn Krueger’s 7-yard TD toss to senior Ella Pawelcyk (10 receptions, 98 yards) with 43 seconds left in the first half.

“We got a little down after that score,” Anen said. “But our team didn’t stay down for long. We trusted our teammates and had faith.

“Attitude,” she added, “helped us from there.”

Up 14-7 at the break, Carmel put together an 11-play, 86-yard, clock-eating drive to start the second half. Junior slot receiver Fiona Ackerson collected all 4 of her receptions (for 39 yards) in it, and Hartman, who also rushed for 48 yards on 11 carries, found Graham for a 20-yard TD at 3:46 of the third quarter.

What heartened Wildcats coach Tiffany Rafiner the most Monday afternoon was her squad’s determination after falling behind 27-7.

Krueger (25 of 36 for 268 yards, 2 TDs) completed 15-, 33- and 43-yard passes on a possession that started at the Wildcats’ 11-yard line. The 43-yarder — a TD — landed in the hands of junior Lillian Causemaker (5 catches, 112 yards) with 1:03 left in the game.

“They never gave up; you saw that in our last drive,” said Rafiner. “They played their hearts out. I’m super proud of all of them. I have zero complaints.

“This phenomenal group wasn’t just a team,” she continued. “It was a family. Our players played for each other and stayed positive all season.”