Immaculate Conception edges Marmion

October 11, 2008 BY KEN RYAN -- THE DOINGS

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The Immaculate Conception football team makes no secret about wanting to run the football on opponents.

Stopping them is another story.

The Knights rushed for 413 yards and held on for a 40-38 Suburban Catholic Conference win over Marmion Academy Saturday in Aurora.

Junior Carlos Rodriguez rushed for 192 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns, while senior Paul Hornstra had 186 yards on 22 carries and added two touchdowns behind strong line play from Matt Purdom, Robert Rivera, Marco Medinah, Josh Fenton and Dan Delaney.

IC improved to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the SCC and is likely one win away from earning a playoff berth.

“This was a big win, but we talk to our kids about not being in the playoffs until we have five wins,” IC coach Bill Schmidt said. “We’re not going to be satisfied with 5-4. We want to go 6-3 and have some momentum going into the playoffs. We take it one week at a time, and we want to get our fifth win next week (against St. Francis).”

IC led 14-8 after three quarters, but the teams combined for 56 points in an explosive fourth quarter.

The Knights led 33-32 and were driving deep in Marmion territory when the Cadets let Will Cronin run 15 yards up the middle for a touchdown to put IC ahead 40-32 following a point-after kick by Olivia Vatch with 1 minute, 13 seconds remaining.

Marmion (2-5, 0-5 in SCC), led by quarterback Ricky Bird (14-for-29 passing, 328 yards, 5 TDs), quickly stormed downfield and pulled within 40-38 when Sean Fichtel caught a 13-yard TD pass from Bird with 24.4 seconds left. IC’s Jose Godinez, however, intercepted the conversion pass to seal the victory for the Knights.

Matt Pircon had five catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns, while Fichtel had six catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns for the Cadets.

Hornstra, who also had an interception deep in Marmion territory in the first half, had a pair of 27-yard TD runs. Rodriguez, who had just one carry for minus-1 yard in the first half, had TD runs of 8, 65 and 51 yards.