By Mark Gregory
Editorial Director
@Hear_The_Beard
mark@buglenewspapers.com
With downstate Marion making the nearly five-hour trip to Joliet last weekend to take on Joliet Catholic at Memorial Stadium, the Hilltoppers proved to be better than gracious hosts as they made sure to get the Wildcats home at a reasonable time.
Joliet Catholic started the 40-point running clock in the third quarter and sent Marion on the road after a two-hour, 49-7 win in the second round of the IHSA Class 5A playoffs.
Nick Iannantone scored twice in the Hilltoppers’ 49-7 win over Marion. (Photo by Mark Gregory)
After stopping Marion’s first possession Nick Iannantone rumbled in to the end zone form 10-yards out to give JCA the early 7-0 lead with 7:58 left in the opening period.
The Hillmen would go on to score touchdowns on four of their five drives in the first half.
The second one came in the closing seconds of the frame when Jordan Alvarez connected with Ja’aire Mack for a 39-yard touchdown pass — setting a trend — when Mack catches the ball, he scores.
Alvarez ghad only three completions on the game — all to Mack — all for touchdowns.
“He is a running back in the double wing and doesn’t really carry the ball, we don’t ask him to block much — he just catches passes,” said JCA coach Jake Jaworski about Mack. “He is a kid that missed all of summer with an injury and, no disrespect to him, but he was probably No. 4 on the depth chart, We didn’t get him fully healthy until week two or three and he was very limited in reps. But he is building confidence and he is a vertical threat that teams have to prepare for.”
Mack knows the importance of the offense to connect on some passes over the top to open the run game.
“It is very important,” he said. “ We are a run teams and when we open that and we start to pass, people don’t know what to do and we put them on their heels.”
The run game worked as well Saturday night as Keenan Hailey posted 175 yards on the ground to go with a touchdown, and Iannantone added 96 yards rushing and a pair of scores.
The Hilltoppers will stay home this weekend and host Highland from the St. Louis area at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Highland defeated Mattoon 56-35 behind four touchdowns from running back Brady Feldmann and three through the air from quarterback Jack Etter.
The Bulldogs are 11-0, but JCA has faced some of the best teams in the state all season.
“We feel like we are well prepared coming off the grind of our schedule,” Jaworski said. “We have seen the big guys in the trenches, we have seen the skill on the edge and we like where we are at. Highland is a spread wide open and we have to be ready. As we move on, it will get tougher and tougher.”