Mount Carmel’s Cloherty conquers the wind, throws for 421 yards in win over Loyola
Being backed up at the one-yard line means there's no room to retreat, but plenty of space to run forward.
So Mount Carmel quarterback Brady Cloherty let it fly. His pass landed near midfield, where junior receiver Marshaun Thornton got good leverage on the cornerback, hauled it in and raced for a 99-yard touchdown.
The maximum-length touchdown put an exclamation point on the Caravan's 38-21 victory at Loyola on Friday, creating a three-way tie for the Catholic League Blue Division title between Mount Carmel, Loyola and Brother Rice.
It also capped a monster night for Cloherty. The senior Plainfield East transfer completed 22 of 37 passes for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Just like his coach used to do it, right? Well, maybe not. Jordan Lynch is known as one of the most prolific running quarterbacks ever, at both Mount Carmel and Northern Illinois.
“You have to throw it first,” Lynch joked. “A lot of 400-yard rushing games we had as a team. (Cloherty's stat line), that's pretty special. It really helps when you have those weapons.”
What made Cloherty's passing totals even more impressive was the strong wind blowing north to south. Mount Carmel's first and last touchdowns, including the 99-yarder, were passes thrown into the wind.
“Coming into the game, we knew it was going to be windy and cold,” Cloherty said. “It just didn't change our game plan. Coach Lynch told us we were going to run the Air Raid and we did. I just trust my receivers, put the ball close to them and they make plays.”
The Air Raid is ideal for the Caravan's receiving corps. Michigan commit Quentin Burrell caught the first touchdown pass, a 27-yarder. Thornton finished with seven catches for 142 yards, junior tight end Ty Kennedy had seven catches for 115 yards, while Duran Sims contributed a pair of touchdown catches.
“I couldn't believe how windy it was, but we stuck to our script and we kept throwing in the wind,” Lynch said. “That's just who we are, we'll live by the sword and die by the sword.”
Mount Carmel led 31-14 when it stopped Loyola's Melo Maldonado on fourth down at the one-yard line. So throwing deep from the end zone wasn't a huge gamble, but it still cashed in.
“I love that play call,” Thornton said. “I looked at (Cloherty) and I just smiled, because he called the right play and it happened from there.”
Cloherty took a chance by transferring to Mount Carmel, joining a loaded roster and a run of four straight state titles. He wasn't the starting quarterback when the season began but took over when Ryder Startz was injured in the opener against East St. Louis.
“Everything is great,” Cloherty said. “I spent a lot of time with Lynch, he's a great coach, and he helped me adapt to the offense. I've been there since January and it's just a brotherhood. Happy to be a part of it.”
The Caravan (7-2) lost to East St. Louis and Brother Rice but now heads into the playoffs with three straight wins. Mount Carmel will likely be the No. 8 seed in Class 8A, with Loyola (8-1) the three seed.
The Ramblers scored first in this game, on a 27-yard pass from Matthew Lee to Jordan McKinley. Mount Carmel scored the next 17 points, but Cloherty's lone mistake was an interception by linebacker Will Mettee, which set up McKinley's second touchdown catch and made it 17-14 at halftime. The Ramblers couldn't run or throw effectively in the second half.
“On a lot of teams, (Maldonado) gets the edge, but here he couldn't,” Loyola coach John Holecek said. “The safety (Tavares Harrington) came down hard. Great athlete, it's hard to get a hat on him. Hat's off, they played a great game.”