Magical season continues for St. Edward
In a season of firsts for the St. Edward football team, this was the most important one yet.
This year's record-breaking squad was the first in program history to open a season with 6 straight wins, the first to finish a regular season undefeated and the first to win a title in the new Metro Suburban Conference.
Noteworthy achievements all, but they pale in comparison to Saturday's accomplishment at Greg True Field in Elgin, where the 2014 Green Wave became the first team in program history to win a home playoff game with a 31-12 victory over Rock Island Alleman.
The postseason win was the second for St. Edward since the IHSA initiated the state playoff system in 1974.
"We've been making history all year long," said defensive lineman Augustus Nottolini, a 5-foot-8, 178-pound defensive lineman who registered a sack and a tackle for loss. "It's just fantastic. It's the greatest feeling in the world."
The win means another first for the Wave: a second home playoff game in the same season. No. 2 St. Edward (10-0) will host No. 7 Coal City (8-2) next weekend, time to be determined. Coal City defeated Mendota 40-14 on Friday.
The victory meant vindication in a way for St. Edward, which played with a chip on its shoulder after facing only one playoff team during the season: Riverside-Brookfield.
"Everybody tells you your schedule is soft," coach Mike Rolando said. "We always thought our kids were good, but you never know how good. When we looked at (Alleman's) roster - and their average lineman was 243 (pounds) and they range from 230 to 280 and their linebackers are 230 - I really didn't think we'd be able to control the line of scrimmage. Or survive the line of scrimmage. And we dominated the line of scrimmage."
St. Edward outgained Alleman 369 total yards to 109. Offensively, running back Dwayne Allen, Jr., a 5-foot-8, 166-pound junior, ran for a career-high 288 yards on 24 carries, including touchdown runs of 75, 61 and 50 yards. It was the fourth time this season Allen has rushed for over 200 yards.
"I think they knew that we were going to run the ball a lot," Allen said. "We were ready for it and they were ready for it. We opened up with the passing game and when the passing game started slowing down, that's when we started running."
The impressive outing improved Allen's season totals to 1,541 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 181 attempts (8.5 avg.).
"He was one of the best we've seen all year, absolutely," Alleman senior linebacker Kier Murphy said. "He's a stud in the backfield. He can move around a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to do the rest of the season."
Allen opened the scoring with a 75-yard touchdown run with 4:24 left in the first quarter, but Western Big 6 tri-champion Alleman countered with a 35-yard touchdown pass from junior Kelan Whan to senior running back Kylee Dorsey, who was left uncovered on a blitz. St. Edward maintained a 7-6 lead when the extra point snap was bobbled.
St. Edward's next 2 possessions resulted in a missed a field goal and an interception at the Alleman 8-yard line by Whan.
The Green Wave broke through via a 1-play drive with 55 seconds left in the second quarter. Following a short punt, St. Edward quarterback Joe Mullen threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Loewen, who made the catch at the goal line. Joe French's extra point kick staked the Wave to a 14-6 lead.
Alleman muffed a third-quarter punt that Jake Harrington recovered at the Pioneer 26-yard line, but Zach Sheets intercepted a tipped Mullen pass to keep it an 8-point game.
However, the St. Edward defense held three-and-out, and Allen capitalized. After senior offensive lineman Dan Howell had to leave the field for one play due to blood on his jersey, defensive lineman Kasey Cooke entered at left tackle and Allen bounced a 33 lead to the outside of Cooke for a 61-yard touchdown and a 21-6 lead with 2:09 left in the third quarter.
"I just had to hook my guy and (Allen) bounced it out," Cooke said.
Alleman answered with another touchdown pass from Whan to Kylee Dorsey, this time for 27 yards, to pull the Pioneers within 21-12 with 9:44 left to play.
St. Edward went on to ice the game with 2 more scores. Joe French kicked a 39-yard field goal. Then, after Allen snared an interception on defense, he polished off possibly the most important victory in the history of Greg True Field with a 50-yard run up the right sideline.
Coordinator Marc Rusinko's St. Edward defense, led by linemen Nottolini, Cooke, Jake French and Josh Von Rohr, inside linebackers Chris Kelly and Jack Tierney and defensive back Danny Favela (2 PBU), forced 7 punts and grabbed 2 interceptions. They held the Alleman flexbone triple option to 42 yards rushing and 67 yards passing.
"They refused to let each other down. They wouldn't let us down," Rolando said. "They just focused on what their job was and they executed flawlessly on defense all day."