Something old, something new in St Rita win

Updated: May 9, 2012 9:54AM

St. Rita forcing turnovers is a familiar sight. The Mustangs scoring a touchdown on a halfback option pass is something else altogether.

That mix of the old and new proved to be just what the Mustangs needed to knock off visiting Mount Carmel 17-7 before a standing-room-only crowd Friday night.

The No. 9 Mustangs had four takeaways en route to setting up a winner-take-all showdown for the Catholic League Blue title next Saturday at Loyola.

“The Loyola matchup is huge for me,” said St. Rita linebacker Will McNamara, who had one of of the Mustangs’ three recoveries of Mount Carmel fumbles. “They got us the last three years.”

And the Mustangs (7-1, 3-0) have now beaten their South Side rival four straight times. This one turned on the Mustangs’ ability to force turnovers while limiting their own mistakes.

St. Rita scored its first touchdown two plays after McNamara recovered No. 6 Mount Carmel’s first fumble at the Caravan 26. The score came on Zach Soria’s 19-yard option pass to Kenny Golladay with 5:00 left in

the first quarter.

It was just the first time the Mustangs had run the play in a game this season and only the second time they had tried it at all.

“The first time I did it, it was probably the worst [wounded] duck I’ve ever thrown,” Soria said. “Coach was like, ‘You’re a baseball player, you’ve got to get that.’”

The Mustangs turned another Caravan turnover into points in the fourth quarter, when Charles Elmore’s fumble recovery at the St. Rita 34 eventually led to John Kelley’s 22-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining.

Jack Sears also recovered a Mount Carmel fumble and Max Kurucar ended the Caravan’s final drive with an interception.

“The defense has been doing it all year long, getting us the ball back here and there,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said.

On the other hand, the turnovers were something new for Mount Carmel (6-2, 1-2).

“Give them credit, they did a really nice job,” Caravan coach Frank Lenti said. “We haven’t done that all year. We haven’t had four turnovers in any game; we haven’t had three turnovers in any game.”

St. Rita also scored on a seven-yard pass from Scott Thomas (8 of 14, 96 yards) to Mike Zunica with 5:14 left in the second quarter. Tim Lombard ran 28 times for 85 yards for the Mustangs.

Mount Carmel had a seven-yard touchdown run by Brandon Greer (15 carries, 56 yards) with 10:50 left in the second quarter.

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