Sports
FOOTBALL: H-F Offense Explodes in Second Half Over Marian Catholic
Homewood-Flossmoor senior running back Taje Smith stepped up big time in his first game as a starter in the Vikings' 35-7 triumph over Marian Catholic.
Breaking It Down: After the score was a knotted up 7-7 exiting half-time, Homewood-Flossmoor came out of the gate looking like a completely different team. In the final two quarters the Vikings' offense reached the end zone on four of five possesions and did not allow the Spartans to get closer than their 28-yard line. However, Marian Catholic did not help themselves out much, as they committed six penalties, fumbled three snaps and turned the ball over twice in the second half alone.
Patch's MVP: Taje Smith, Homewood-Flossmoor. Smith made his presence known to the Marian Catholic defense early, by rushing 46-yards into the end zone on the Vikings first offensive play of the game. The 4.43 40-yard-dasher would follow that score up with two more rushing touchdowns along with three different plays in which he gained more than 30 yards on the ground.
Homewood-Flossmoor Stat Pack: Ronald Johnson threw two touchdowns and one interception while completing 8/15 pass attempts for 105 yards. The Vikings committed 10 penalties in the first half, yet only two in the second one. Homewood-Flossmoor's defense held the Spartans to under two hundred and fifty total yards.
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Marian Catholic Stat Pack: The Spartans at one point faced a fourth-and-50 for a fresh set of downs after a fumbled snap and a couple of penalties. Running backs Troy Nutall and Dillon Burns combined for a total of 72 yards on 25 carries. Patrick Schmidt had a night to forget, completing 8-of-24 passes for 85 yards, including an interception. The Marian Catholic kicker missed his attempt at a 41-yard field goal midway through the third quarter.
Quotable I: "We're only playing with five guys that have any varsity experience at all, so I think that really surfaced in the first half," Homewood-Flossmoor head football coach Craig Buzea said. "I told them don't panic [at halftime]. The first play [of the game] came way too easy, and in the second half we said we're going to run the ball right at them."
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Quotable II: "Work harder in practice and just get better and faster and stronger," said Marian Catholic linebacker Shane Ratkovich, who had three sacks and nearly 10 tackles. "That way we'll get a win."
Team Records: Homewood-Flossmoor is 1-0. Marian Catholic is 0-1.
What's Next: Homewood-Flossmoor plays Stevenson High School on Aug. 31. Marian Catholic moves on to play Crete-Monee on Aug. 31.
Scores of Interest: Lincoln-Way East 31, Carmel 6; Lincoln-Way Central 28, Lincoln-Way North 27 (OT); Sandburg 30, Andrew 23. For more scores, go to ihsascorezone.
