Carmel's able to finish off Waukesha West
After a slow start and trailing 14-3 to Waukesha West at halftime, it turned out to be a great start to the football season for host Carmel Catholic on Friday night in a 24-17 victory.
The Corsairs actually got a little bit of momentum going at the end of the second quarter as senior Matt Hellen kicked a 42-yard field goal with just 3.4 seconds left in the first half to cut the Wolverines' lead to 14-3.
But Carmel's offense looked significantly better throughout the second half starting with a short, 26-yard scoring drive early in the third quarter.
Senior quarterback Jeremy Strutzel started the drive with a 16-yard keeper before senior running back Rondel Jamison capped the 5-play drive with a 1-yard TD run to cut the lead to 14-10 with 7:01 left in the period.
"We were down one turnover and one big play at halftime, and Rondel Jamison is the best player in Lake County, that is all I can say," said Carmel Catholic coach Andy Bitto, whose team had 243 total yards rushing. "They (Jamison and Strutzel) both run 4.5's so when they get a seam they're going to get four or five yards and Rondel is going to get into the secondary."
A blocked punt by Carmel junior Zaire Barnes after Waukesha West's next possession put all of the momentum in the Corsairs' direction and they took full advantage of the situation starting at the Wolverines' 43-yard-line.
After having a solid first half with 52 yards on 9 carries in the first half, Jamison wound up with 155 yards on 19 carries overall as the running room was much easier to come by in the second half.
A 19-yard run by Jamison early in the drive was followed by his 2-yard TD run before Hellen's extra point gave the Corsairs their first lead at 17-14 late in the third quarter.
But Waukesha West did not fold as Dain Hudson returned the ensuing kickoff to the Carmel 4-yard-line. A huge holding penalty pushed the Wolverines back two plays later, and they had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Trent Remmers to tie the score at 17-17 with 11.2 seconds left in the third quarter.
Carmel scored on its third straight possession on its next drive as Jamison stepped to the forefront once again.
This time, he bolted through the middle of the line on a third-and-3 play for a 45-yard TD run and a 24-17 lead with 10:03 to play.
"I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for my offensive line," said Jamison. "We came a long way from the summer, and that explains how we came back in the second half and won the game."
There were still some nervous moments in the fourth quarter as Waukesha West mounted a comeback taking the ball down to the Carmel 17.
But on fourth down from the Carmel 17, Carmel senior Joel Basara came up with a huge interception to essentially seal the win.
Carmel did have to get two first downs on its final possession to salt away the clock. But the Wolverines had used two timeouts in the third quarter so they were unable to stop the clock to gain one final possession.
Leading 7-0 late in the second quarter, Waukesha West's Pete MacCudden (170 yards on 19 carries) broke a tackle before making a spin move and racing 77 yards down the left sideline for the TD and a 14-0 lead with 1:10 left in the period.
Barnes had 42 yards on 5 carries while Strutzel added 37 yards on 16 attempts.
"It's a huge win, the year's we've struggled we've struggled in our non-conference games and this is a confidence-builder," added Bitto. "It's easier to coach when you win, especially against a quality program like Waukesha West which placed second in their state last year."