St. Rita’s strength this season is a rugged, experienced offensive line. Bobby Rusch, Izaius Dukes, Gregory Zaber, Seamus Blake and Mitchell Street pounded away at Glenbard West on Saturday in Glen Ellyn, leading the Mustangs to 297 rushing yards.
And then, with the game on the line and everyone expecting one last push from that offensive line, St. Rita went to the air.
Quarterback John Fennell found senior Vincent Stubitsch for a two-point conversion with 42 seconds left to give the No. 15 Mustangs a 36-35 win against No. 10 Glenbard West.
“We run that all day in practice so we had to come out and execute it,” Fennell said.
Senior running back Brandon Johnson Jr. had 23 carries for 154 yards and three touchdowns for St. Rita (1-1). Johnson’s 21-yard TD run set up the conversion try.
“The whole game we had been running outside, so the run inside was bound to be there,” Johnson said. “Hit the hole, get upfield, break a tackle and score a touchdown.”
Fennell was 13 of 19 passing for 151 yards with one interception and had 20 carries for 131 yards, including a three-yard TD. The former linebacker is a punishing runner.
“I taught him a little with the cuts, but he got that from himself,” Johnson said. “He’s a dog. He’s been like that since freshman year.”
The teams traded touchdowns throughout the game. Johnson’s five-yard run with 10:32 left knotted the score at 28, the fourth tie of the game.
St. Rita’s Brandon Johnson, carrying the ball, scores one of his touchdowns against Glenbard West.
Allen Cunningham/For the Sun Times
Glenbard West senior Ace Harris scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a one-yard run with 4:41 left to put the Hilltoppers (1-1) ahead 35-28. Harris had 14 carries for 49 yards.
“St. Rita wanted it more,” Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet said. “That’s the difference. In a game like that, whoever wants it more wins. We played hard, but we didn’t play good. It was a physical game. I am proud of our kids for fighting. We will bounce back, and we will figure it out.”
Hilltoppers quarterback AJ Rayford was 4 of 9 passing for 78 yards. He ripped off an 83-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to put Glenbard West ahead 28-21.
St. Rita coach Martin Hopkins never questioned going for two at the end.
“Last week it was the same situation against Providence,” Hopkins said. “We said we were going for two if we got it in. It is just believing in our guys, and the way the game was going, it was tough to stop them. We figured if we got it in, we might as well take our shot. It is one of those things we have dialed up and finally got to use it.”
Both teams played challenging games in Week 1. St. Rita lost to Providence and Glenbard West beat Lockport.
Through the first two weeks of the season, most teams in the Super 25 are putting up points with ease and struggling on defense — even traditionally strong defensive programs.
“I have been here 20 years,” Hetlet said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever scored 35 and lost a game. Thirty-five points. We don’t lose when we score 35 points. It is all on us defensively.”