Fenwick 14
Hales 13
The Fenwick football team kept alive its chances of making the playoffs by edging Hales Franciscan 14-13 in a Chicago Catholic League crossover game Friday night, but the win wasn’t pretty.
“They outplayed and out-prepared us and they were the better team,” said Fenwick head coach Joe DiCanio after his team scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, enough for the win. “We didn’t show up to play.”
Pat Hart tossed two touchdown passes to John Rooney before halftime for Fenwick’s only points. Hales scored on a three-yard run in the third and a 36-yard pass play in the fourth, but the team failed to convert the extra-point after that touchdown.
Fenwick recovered a Hales fumble with a minute left in the game to seal the win.
DiCanio said he was concerned about this week’s final regular season game against Brother Rice, which has playoff implications for the Friars. Fenwick was without six starters on defense against Hales due to an assortment of injuries, but the coach said it was no excuse for the poor play.
“We have to get the team that showed up against St. Rita and Providence this season,” he said. “If the team that showed up against Hales is the team we bring into the Brother Rice game, then it’s the Prep Bowl playoffs only for us. It’s a matter of what team is going to show up.”
Brother Rice qualified for the state playoffs with a 5-4 overall record after downing Bishop McNamara 21-7 last week. Running back Martez Walker ran for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.
The Friars host the Crusaders for homecoming on Saturday at Morton West Football Stadium (1 p.m.).
