Downers Grove North defense delivers again, shuts down St. Rita
Two plays into this game, Downers Grove North fell behind St. Rita 7-0.
The problem was, DGN received the opening kickoff. Once the Trojans got their defense on the field, everything was fine.
The Purple Wave, Purple Storm, whatever this defense should be called, held St. Rita to 121 total yards and seven first downs on the way to a 17-7 victory.
Downers Grove North (10-1) moves on to the Class 7A quarterfinals against the winner of Saturday's Glenbard North-Richards game.
This has been the story of the season. Through 11 games, no team has scored more than 14 points against the Trojans in regulation. Their lone loss was to York in overtime.
“We've got the best coaching staff in the state,” defensive back Connor Crowley said. “They prepare us so much. We know every formation, have everything dialed down so we can play fast out here.”
On the game's second snap, Downers Grove North had the ball near midfield and threw a bubble screen to Ryan Brown, but he was hit hard as the ball arrived and St. Rita's Kyle Keyser grabbed it before it hit the ground, then sprinted for a 50-yard interception return touchdown.
The Trojans' next drive led to a field goal that made it 7-3, then finally the defense could take the field. On St. Rita's second snap, defensive end Declan Davies sacked quarterback John Fennell for a 14-yard loss.
“They were doing a run fake, their guys pulled and my job is to step up, look inside to see if there's anyone coming through,” Davies said. “There was no one coming through, I saw the quarterback start to boot, so hightailed it after him and took him down.”
From that point this game was a typical Downers Grove North defensive slugfest. The Trojans kept St. Rita bottled up, controlled field position and kept the clock moving. DGN didn't complete a pass in this game, didn't even try one in the second half. At halftime the visiting Mustangs had no first downs and 18 total yards.
“We're all from the same neighborhood, that's what makes it sweeter,” Crowley said of the defense. “We all love playing for each other. I've known Davies my whole life, pretty much everybody on the team.”
If anyone was wondering, yes, this group was doing this kind of thing growing up in youth football.
“Not to toot our own horn, but we went four or five times undefeated in (Downers Grove) Panthers,” Davies said with a laugh. “I was part of that, the Pierce Downer neighborhood, even some of the guys who aren't part of it, it's all just a tight-knit community in Downers Grove. I feel like that has played an impact on our togetherness.”
DGN took the lead with 4:10 left in the second quarter in typical fashion, a 12-yard drive after a defensive stop, punt return and penalty. Kevin Jay bulled in from 1-yard out to make it 10-7 at halftime.
St. Rita (7-4) finally picked up a few first downs to start the third quarter, but the Mustangs were stopped on fourth-and-three at the DGN 27. The Mustangs stayed in it by getting an interception and fumble recovery deep in their own territory, but Grant Georgas finally broke free for a 26-yard touchdown run with 6:13 left. Jack Purgatorio sealed things by intercepting a halfback pass.
St. Rita's offense was further stymied by quarterback Fennell suffering a dislocated right thumb early in the game.
“The trainer popped it back in. It was his right hand, he couldn't grip the ball,” St. Rita coach Martin Hopkins said. “You don't want to take John off the field, because he's such a good player. Second and third quarters, all we could do is run the ball.”
Running back Brandon Johnson Jr. had to work hard to gain 76 rushing yards on 18 carries. For DGN, Georgas finished with 119 yards on 20 carries, with Jay at 97 yards on 15 attempts.