By Bobby Narang
A new season often brings different results.
In the case of Nazareth Academy’s football team, the 2024 season is a return to normalcy.
After having to scratch and claw their way, after a slow start, to earn a playoff berth last season, the Nazareth Roadrunners are back to their normal way of life: Winning almost every week.
The Roadrunners extended their winning streak to five in a row by crushing Benet Academy, 62-14, Friday, Oct. 18 in LaGrange.
“It was a good win,” Nazareth coach Tim Racki. “Everyone came to play and played hard. I was very happy with the effort. We played well from the start and stayed focused during the whole game. Just a nice win.”
Indeed, the Roadrunners (7-1) did a masterful job dismantling a talented Benet team, which won four of its first five games this season.
The Benet Redwings (5-3) had no answer for Nazareth’s big-play offense and defense.
Nazareth were rested and motivated after not playing the previous week due to a forfeit by De La Salle.
On the first play from scrimmage, Nazareth junior running back Lesroy Tittle scored on a 59-yard touchdown.
“I saw the outside was open and went to the outside and Trenton Walker had a great block and I just took off from there,” Tittle said. “It felt really good to score fast. We worked hard during the bye week. We knew we were going to be rusty this week, but we came out and did a great job.”
Nazareth scored 28 points in the first quarter to build some momentum late in the regular season in their run for a third straight State championship.
Nazareth senior quarterback Logan Malachuk threw for 263 yards and five touchdowns, all in the first half. Walker had a big day with five receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Senior James Penley had two touchdown catches.
“The bye week prepared us even more because we had all those extra practices,” Walker said. “We got a lot of reps and that showed in the way we played tonight. We have a great offense, line and running back, so you are able to move the ball around like that, it makes it easier for me to perform and do my thing, plus to have a great quarterback like Logan Malachuk.
Nazareth defensive back, and Indiana recruit, Garrett Reese, had an early interception that led to Malachuk’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Penley for a 14-0 lead just 65 seconds into the game.
“We wanted to come out strong and set a tone,” Reese said. “I saw the quarterback staring me down the whole time, so I knew he was going to throw it. I just undercut him and was thinking about bouncing the ball, but I wanted it, so I ripped it out. It was a fun game. We worked for two weeks for this game. That really got us ready for this game.”
Benet senior quarterback Ryan Kubacki Jr. passed for 141 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.