By Bobby Narang
Montini Catholic High school is back.
Nazareth is not.
With the first three weeks of the high school football season in the rearview mirror, the early results have led to some interesting storylines.
After winning six State championships from 2004 to 2015, Montini has fallen on hard times after the coronavirus pandemic. The Broncos won just three games in the shortened six-game season in Spring 2021, then have posted consecutive three-win seasons in the last two full regular seasons and missed out on the playoffs.
On the other end, Nazareth opened up last season with a 1-3 record, but steamrolled the rest of its opponents to win the Class 5A State championship. But the Roadrunners, in particular long-time head coach Tim Racki, understand their current situation is different from last season.
The Roadrunners have a tougher schedule than last season, in part due to moving to the Chicago Catholic League/East Surburban Catholic Conference (CCL/ESCC) Orange, which includes St. Francis, IC Catholic Prep, and Fenwick.
On the third Friday of the season, the Roadrunners hit the road for the third time this season to battle Montini in a rare match-up of powerhouse programs. The result was a wildly-entertaining game filled with nonstop action, big plays, and back-to-back special teams blocked kicks to end the game.
The Montini Broncos maintained their course toward a perfect season, well, at least through four games, with a thrilling 24-23 win over the Roadrunners.
The Broncos (3-0) avoided a tough loss, leading 24-7 early in the second half by blocking a potential game-winning field goal at the buzzer. The play before, the Broncos were forced to punt the ball deep inside their own territory with 10 seconds left. Nazareth blocked the punt to set up a dramatic ending.
“We had so many chances to finish the game the right way,” Montini head coach Mike Bukovsky said. “We have to get better at that. They never quit.”
Montini junior linebacker Nick Iron saved the day for his team by blocking the potential winning field goal, beating his man to get his hand on the ball to spoil Nazareth’s comeback bid.
“It was one-on-one and it was if you are better than that man, and I believed I was better than him, and I told my teammate that I’m going to run through this guy and one of us is going to block it,” Iron said. “I laid out for it and blocked it. I dove and it hit my left hand. I was coming from the right side. I didn’t know if they were going for a (field goal).”
Prior to the season, Nazareth head coach Tim Racki understood the challenge of playing four straight games to start the season, especially against a group of talented teams. The Roadrunners (0-3, 0-1) lost to Kankakee and York in their first two games. They will play at IC Catholic Friday for another road game before closing out the regular season with four of their final five games at home.
“We showed that we are pretty good,” Racki said. “I was very proud of their second half effort. You have to tip your hat off to Montini. I know they had a tough year last year.”