Carmel's ground game too tough

Updated: March 22, 2011 4:22PM

Opposing teams are quickly discovering the pitfalls of facing No. 10 Carmel's triple-option offense.

The Corsairs rolled up 500 total yards on Friday night to beat host Libertyville 55-27. Leading the charge were the 1-2 punch of quarterback Brian Serio (12 carries, 129 yards, two touchdowns) and halfback Michael Panico (nine carries for 158 yards, two touchdown).

"He (Serio) distributes the ball very well," said Carmel coach Andy Bitto, whose team is 2-0. "He also makes great decisions. If you do those things, it's hard to defend us."

During a wild third quarter, Libertyville (0-2) used a pair of turnovers to tie the game 27-27. The second touchdown was a punt block by Luke Mathewson that was recovered in the end zone by A.J. Schmidt.

But Carmel responded with two quick touchdowns of its own. The second score came when Jake Larson sacked Wildcat quarterback A.J. Schurr on the four-yard line. The ball popped loose, and was recovered in the end zone by LaRon Biere to bump the lead to 41-27.

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