Marmion, West Aurora end seasons with losses

It wasn't the ideal way to end a season: a lengthy delay due to lightning, periods of wind and rain, no marching band, and a very sparse crowd.

For St. Edward, though, the season ended with a 20-8 win Friday night over host Marmion. And that, at least, felt good.

"I'm so proud of them," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando, who has coached this senior class for six years. "They've played great with some awesome teams all year, and I think tonight they took another step forward. They wanted to go out on a high note."

The Green Wave did so despite not completing a pass in the difficult conditions. Instead, they piled up more than 280 yards on the ground, led by Jimmy Mathisen and Moises Quiroga. Mathisen ran for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Quiroga added 69 and a score. Mathisen's touchdown came nine and a half minutes into the first quarter, capping a 12-play drive.

After that, St. Edward just kept up the pressure

"We came real close to pitching the shutout," Rolando said.

Marmion's only points came on defense, a 68-yard fumble return by Joe Weber in the third quarter with the Green Wave already up 20-0.

The Cadets hurt themselves much of the night, turning the ball over five times and failing to get off a punt. Marmion had only seven first downs and had trouble establishing its usual strong running game. The lone highlight on offense was a 48-yard pass play from Ricky Bird to Bobby Miles, but that drive ended on an interception by Adam Gilies. Gilies ran it back 90 yards, setting up Mathisen's second touchdown, from 5 yards out.

Bird finished 8 of 15 passing for 121 yards, with two interceptions.

"We couldn't run the ball, and when we get behind and they know we're throwing it's hard to pass block," Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. "I'm disappointed in the results, but not disappointed in the effort."

The Green Wave (2-5 Suburban Catholic Conference) end the season 4-5 overall, a big improvement from last year's 1-8 record. Marmion ends its year 3-6 overall and 1-6 in conference play.

Glenbard North 26, West Aurora 0: Wet and rainy though it might have been, Glenbard North's running game never skidded off track on Friday.

The Panthers rumbled for 269 rushing yards, most of those while they took a 26-0 halftime lead at West Aurora. Then Glenbard North survived a soggy and scoreless second stanza and preserved their fourth straight DuPage Valley Conference victory and qualified for the playoffs for the sixth straight year.

The Panthers (6-3, 5-3) were likely to qualify even with 5 wins, but they are now assured a spot in the brackets when they are released this evening.

"Obviously the higher seed helps us," Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens said. "We think we're going to be on the road, but you never know. It shook out last year unexpectedly, and it might again this year."

Lightning delays moved kickoff back more than an hour, and once play started, the Panthers ran and ran and gained more than enough yards.

Tyler Doll was dominant early. The Glenbard North senior gained 72 yards on 17 carries before reinjuring an ankle and hobbling to the sidelines on the last play of the first half.

"It's the same ankle that he's had problems with before," Wilkens said. "He's able to put pressure on it. We've got him on crutches, but he's able to walk on it. We didn't want him to injure it any more, but it's not as bad as it was originally."

West Aurora (3-6, 1-6) turnovers were the other key story in the first half. The Blackhawks fumbled three times and had a pass intercepted.

"With these weather conditions tonight, we were able to capitalize on some turnovers and not turn over the ball ourselves, which was nice," Wilkens said.

Doll scored on runs of 5 yards and 2 yards before leaving the game. Quarterback Evan Watkins ran in a 7-yard keeper early in the second quarter. Ben Hester ran in from 17 yards late in the quarter to give Glenbard North its wide halftime margin.

Due to the turnovers, West Aurora was also unable to gain much yardage. Glenbard North outgained the Blackhawks 128-8 in the first half and 269-20 for the game.

"I'll tell you, our turnover ratio this year had been awful," West Aurora coach Buck Drach said. "It's been ridiculous us turning over the ball."

Those turnovers and Glenbard North's efficiency left the Blackhawks in a deep halftime hole. The loss was the fifth straight for a West Aurora team that started the season 3-1.

"It's been tough in the first half for the last four or five weeks," Drach said. "It's been tough in the second half for the past four or five weeks too."

While the Blackhawks did not score, they did move the ball at times in the second half.

"A little bit," Drach said. "But they had their second team in there too."

­- Darryl Mellema