Saturday afternoon should be amazing. I'm worried about the MC penalty problem. 12 penalties in the 1st quarter vs Rice. Running game is Dowling up the middle and Turbo on the sweep. Not enough. Defense is fantastic, and the passing game is the best in MC history.
MC @ St. Rita
- Thread starter feeto
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Hard to believe it’s been 34 years since the last semifinal matchup
If those are hand in the back and holding - everyone getting flagged more in the playoffs.
This little excerpt provides the only footage I've ever seen of MC's "miracle catch" against HF in '88. I will interpret that as a good omen.
A cool fact is the Public Address announcer at St. Rita Stadium for that 1988 Semi-final was the Hall of Famer Jim O'Boye. The Public Address announcer for this coming Saturday's Semi-final, 34 years later, in Cronin Field at Doyle Stadium on the beautiful Bernard DelGiorno Campus of St. Rita of Cascia High School, will be none other than Mr. Jim O'Boye.
All the great programs, private and public, have all those type of people surrounding a program, practices filmed, stats kept, game day production, uniform details etc. It takes a dedicated and consistent community to create year-after-year, generation-after-generation successful programs.
I think by the end of the game BR had only a few less flags then MC did, they started catching up to us! Those refs were ruthless.
I'm glad St. Rita is the Patroness for Impossible Cases
Who's running the trucks for the nearby firehouses? Maybe a couple buckets over the south fence will pop up for old times sake.
I watched at lot of games at Gatley. Actually we were assigned there most of the time if we didn't have calls because the paramedics who were assigned still had to take hot calls. Watched a few Pre-season and post season Prep Bowls from the press box as the Fire Marshall for the day. It's always fun to watch good football. But bad football is still better than no football at all. I've watched the Fire and Police teams play at Rita, Rice and St Xavier but never a high school game there.
Visitors, East stands
Home, West stands
Same as your last trip.
There were plans, they probably still exist, to switch the sides with some remodeling phases but that has not begun yet
With the old wooden visitor stands being replaced with aluminum ones I think that’s on hold. Haven’t heard anything at one of the recent luncheons. Would love to have seen a new stadium like the ones in Texas with a Jumbotron like Sterling Illinois. That’s a nice stadium on the home side in Sterling. I was in the SR press box for one game in the covid spring season. Replacing or expanding that should be on the front burner.
Besides other than MC no other team on the regular season schedule are ever going to fill the ones there now on a Friday night.
Week 1 was a long time ago. This Rita team is much better than it was then. Don't forget about how important a GREAT kicker can be in a close game. That kid's the real deal.
If your a longtime MC football fan your a liar if the 92 JCA Semi hasn’t crossed your mind 😀. I checked the articles, no Therill Smith comments were made! 😀. Only complementary.
For those that don’t know. 1992, MC opens up the season ranked #1 and beats JCA 27-6 in the opener, avenging a heartbreaking defeat from the year before. MC went 12-0 and pretty much dominated everyone. JCA went 11-1. Rematch set for semifinals. MC star RB Therill Smith told Bob Sakamoto “It will be just like the first game. We’ll whip them just like that” or something along those lines. Sakamoto printed it, and then ran another story centered around that quote and then this happened
www.chicagotribune.com
For those that don’t know. 1992, MC opens up the season ranked #1 and beats JCA 27-6 in the opener, avenging a heartbreaking defeat from the year before. MC went 12-0 and pretty much dominated everyone. JCA went 11-1. Rematch set for semifinals. MC star RB Therill Smith told Bob Sakamoto “It will be just like the first game. We’ll whip them just like that” or something along those lines. Sakamoto printed it, and then ran another story centered around that quote and then this happened
JOLIET CATHOLIC STUNS MT. CARMEL
There had to be a reason why Joliet Catholic`s 5,000-plus partisans seemed so tentative. Their hero, Matt Larsen, had just scored his second touchdown to provide the Hilltoppers with a 13-3 lead ov…
www.chicagotribune.com
Rita doesn't need any motivational quotes. Last year, after losing to MC in the opener, they motivated themselves all the way to the finals. They'll be ready on Saturday.
I know OL Nick Strelczyk did not play: 6'5, 315.
I believe OL Sam Gomez did not play either: 6'3, 280.
Now, I know this doesn't phase MC whatsoever, so no one's pooping in their pants because two linemen missed the first encounter. I'm sure MC may have been missing some starters, too.
As for change? I'd say just a new attitude Rita has since the Benet Academy game. Losing big to MC-LA hurt, but in between that, Rita beat a solid BR team.
I believe OL Sam Gomez did not play either: 6'3, 280.
Now, I know this doesn't phase MC whatsoever, so no one's pooping in their pants because two linemen missed the first encounter. I'm sure MC may have been missing some starters, too.
As for change? I'd say just a new attitude Rita has since the Benet Academy game. Losing big to MC-LA hurt, but in between that, Rita beat a solid BR team.
All I care about is that when MC punches Rita in the mouth, SR punches back. The 90 and 96 games are two of my favs, and MC won by a combined score of about 65-10. But Rita was not intimidated in either game. Kuska does not fear MC, and I expect SR to play tough. MC probably wins convincingly, but Kuska will not let MC run over SR.
I remember it😂. Was a coach on that JC team.If your a longtime MC football fan your a liar if the 92 JCA Semi hasn’t crossed your mind 😀. I checked the articles, no Therill Smith comments were made! 😀. Only complementary.
For those that don’t know. 1992, MC opens up the season ranked #1 and beats JCA 27-6 in the opener, avenging a heartbreaking defeat from the year before. MC went 12-0 and pretty much dominated everyone. JCA went 11-1. Rematch set for semifinals. MC star RB Therill Smith told Bob Sakamoto “It will be just like the first game. We’ll whip them just like that” or something along those lines. Sakamoto printed it, and then ran another story centered around that quote and then this happened
JOLIET CATHOLIC STUNS MT. CARMEL
There had to be a reason why Joliet Catholic`s 5,000-plus partisans seemed so tentative. Their hero, Matt Larsen, had just scored his second touchdown to provide the Hilltoppers with a 13-3 lead ov…
I was going to tag you! Let your JCA guys know that Smith's actions have been used for the past 30 years as a lesson of what not to do! Many current players know the Tale of Smith! Now I really don't think that comment effected the game....I was away in the Marines and missed it, but JCA really seemed to figure it out after that loss and Larsen just got better and better. The weather that day was perfect for him and bad for the veer.
This game will be over early as well. While Rita has a very sold defense their offense is non existent.
Wishing Coach Kuska all the best, he has represented St Rita with class.
Rita will lose, but they won't get clocked. MC will let Kuska go out with dignity.
Friday night from the north shore to SR for LA is torture in traffic. But the team does come in seven buses used in the TV series lives of the rich and famous. But I think LA rented a NASA drone for the night when the Goodyear blimp was not available for their own private broadcast.
BR didn't fill much of the stands their side this year and Marist has only played SR a couple of time at SR. But with the games on that on line thing the IHSA is running everyone attendances is down. Playoffs might bring out bigger crowds thou.
MC posters are being nice. They scored 28 points in one quarter vs St. Rita, what could they do in 4 quarters?
Rock my good man, I honestly think MC will win, I’ll get into it more later but main reason is MC’s defense has been unbelievable against the run all year and I don’t see that changing and their secondary matches up well with your receivers and QB. BUT, that being said, I’ll bet you a steak dinner at Jenny’s (or equal quality South Side Steak House) they won’t beat them by 32 this team. It will be much closer.
Maybe, maybe not. So 32 is too big of a number on the road vs a team you’ve already faced this year.
“Much closer” isn’t defined. My concern is the MC strength you mention. It could get ugly early if the SR O can’t flip the field and/or turn the ball over on the short side of the field.
This is all nonsense. Rita will put up a great game and we have nothing to be overconfident about.
As long as SR does not play intimidated, the score is immaterial to me. Unfortunately, your prediction seems pretty sound.
I've been watching St Rita football since the 50s. They've never played intimidated.
I'm excited for this game.....I'm taking MC by 21. Seeing Rita vs Prospect; Rita is big and strong and their running game wears you down by the second half......but MC's defense is up for that challenge. I don't see MC being held to less than 30 points the way their offense looks right now.
I wish this was the state championship game!
I wish this was the state championship game!
Well let's watch the other semi-final and then the championship weekend. Maybe next Saturday night you might be right on that this was the State final and maybe not. SR might be the 5th best team in the state. MC, LA/LWE, and maybe ESL might be my final four. SR's problem is MC #1 and they got them twice this year.
I'm picking MC by about 17 to 21pts. They won by more last time. I don't believe in moral victories, but it would be nice if SR could keep it respectable for their retiring coach.
Is this Mount Carmel's best team ever? I think it was, at least for a while. Dupree was a huge loss. But MC still has an arsenal of weapons. Going into Saturday's game, the Caravan remains, as the Sun-Times said, "...the king of Chicago high school football."
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