The Fenwick High School football team knew it would be in for a challenge when it went to Valenta Stadium in LaGrange Park to face host Nazareth Academy in a Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference Orange Division game Sept. 29.
The Roadrunners, defending IHSA Class 5A state champions, started this season 0-4 and in real jeopardy of missing this year’s playoffs. But they’ve now won their last two games after defeating the Friars 26-16.
“Our guys played hard and tough for four quarters,” said Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia. “They hit us on two big plays in the second half that really changed the outcome. But it was a great back-and-forth game.”
Luke D’Alise had a two-yard run; Marek Hill (23-of-48, 277 yards) threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Bjorson followed by a two-point conversion pass to Nate Marshall; and Jack Paris blocked a Nazareth punt out of bounds for a safety to account for Fenwick’s scoring.
The Friars (4-2, 1-1 in CCL/ESCC Orange) return to Triton College for their regular-season home finale against Mount Carmel on Oct. 6. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
OPRF
In each of the last three fully-played seasons, excluding the Covid-delayed 2020 season that was moved to the spring, Oak Park and River Forest wasn’t eliminated from state playoff eligibility until Week 9.
But with a young and developing roster continuing to take lumps in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division, this year’s Huskies find themselves in an unaccustomed position: being virtually eliminated from postseason contention after Week 6.
OPRF (1-5, 1-3 in WSC Silver) was blanked by visiting Lyons Township 49-0 Sept. 29. Sophomore Jeremiah Jenkins gave the Huskies a bright spot with an interception in the end zone to thwart a LT scoring threat in the third quarter.
OPRF will try to end its three-game losing streak when it visits Willowbrook in a WSC crossover matchup Oct. 6. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.