Green Wave give Driscoll all it can handle
It might not have been a surprise to the St. Edward football team.
But the slim 7-0 halftime lead Driscoll held certainly was to the Highlanders.
Driscoll, the 7-time defending state champions, got its offense going enough in the second half to escape Greg True Field in Elgin with a 21-12 Suburban Catholic Conference victory over the Green Wave Friday night.
"We didn't come out to play," Driscoll junior Nick Campanella said. "They were ready. This was their championship. We doubted them. We thought we were going to roll them."
The Highlanders (5-1, 3-1) took their opening possession of the game 75 yards for a touchdown, a 16-yard run from Pierre Washington-Steel. However, they managed only 4 yards of offense in their final three drives of the half.
"I don't know if it's what everyone else expected, but that's what we expected," Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. "Our kids believed. I'm so proud of them today."
The Highlanders scored on the opening drive of the third quarter on just three plays. Campanella, who finished with 92 yards on 6 carries, busted through the middle of the line and scampered 59 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
The Green Wave (3-3, 1-3), which has won only 18 games since 2001 when Driscoll began its title run, answered right back with a 2-play, 79-yard drive. Senior Jimmy Mathisen took a handoff up the middle, broke free and outran the defense for a 70-yard touchdown with 9:44 left in the third quarter. St. Edward went for a 2-point conversion, but failed, leaving the score 14-6.
"We stressed all week that we needed to be physical and I think that's what we did," said Mathisen, who finished with 175 yards on 26 carries. "It's just the mental mistakes that killed us."
Driscoll came back on its next possession and scored on an 18-yard pass from Steve Schwabe to Clay Cooper, who made a diving catch in the end zone for a 21-6 lead.
With less than 4 minutes left in the game, the Green Wave got down to the Driscoll 10-yard line, but was stopped short on a fourth-and-3 to turn the ball over. They got the ball back on a fumble recover less than a minute later and converted the turnover into a touchdown, a 2-yard plunge from Jordan Torres with 2:03 remaining. But a personal foul after the play forced St. Edward to try for 2 from the 18. Cory Diaz tried to hit Jim Waclawik in the corner of the end zone, but the ball was knocked away.
The Highlanders recovered an onside kick and were able to run out the clock. They managed 268 yards of total offense and only 9 first downs.
"I told the kids all week long (St. Edward) was not going to be a pushover," Highlanders coach Brandon New said. "Our kids played just well enough to get by."