High School football: Benet, Nazareth, pull power plays

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By Bobby Narang

Benet Academy High School quarterback, Colin Gillespie, made a point to ensure his younger teammates would have fast adjustments to playing on the varsity football team.

The Redwings, a long-time member of the East Suburban Catholic Conference, were preparing to face a tough schedule due to the ESCC merger with the Chicago Catholic League to form a six-division conference.

Benet, St. Laurence, Nazareth Academy, and De La Salle are part of the CCL/ESCC Orange Conference.

Making matters even tougher, the Redwings were scheduled to face defending Class 8A State champion Loyola Academy in week seven. After playing upstart St. Rita, the Redwings will conclude the regular season at home against 7A State champion Nazareth.

Thus far, the Redwings have started fast and won their first three games entering a week four tilt at De La Salle Friday.

“I think we had a great offseason and worked really hard in the weight room and on the field to prepare the guys that are starting for the first time this year,” Gillespie said. “We were only returning three starters on offense, so I think a crucial part of our success so far has been executing well and picking up new plays and concepts.”

“We knew how difficult our last few games would be, facing the defending 7A and 8A State champions at the end of the season,” Benet head coach Pat New said. “Getting off to a good start was important because we needed to create momentum. We’re trying to improve each week. Overall, our execution on offense is a lot better.”

• Nazareth rebounds from opening loss.

Three games into the season, Nazareth is building momentum toward another State championship run. But after losing to Cardinal Ritter College Prep of St. Louis in the opening game at home, the Roadrunners regrouped and refocused to pull off blowout victories over Curie and Fenwick.

“We were definitely humbled,” Nazareth senior fullback and middle linebacker Riley Theobald, 6-2 and 240 pounds, said. “I think we needed it. Every good team is humbled in one part of the season. It happened to us last year. This year it was week one. We are hungry and ready now for anything.”

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