St. Ignatius defeated DePaul Prep 35-0 Friday evening (Friday, October 15, 2021) at DePaul.
I was looking forward seeing St. Ignatius with the Wolfpack coming into the game with their best season in decades.
I was genuinely impressed with the St. Ignatius’ play calling. And they were in no hurry. They took advantage of the fancy new play clocks at the new DePaul Prep Stadium. They used up the forty second clock then gashed the Rams for six or seven yards. It’s the kind of game I like; run the football and eat the clock.
The Wolfpack’s first possession took up half of the first quarter. It was all runs and short passes; nothing down the field. There weren’t even a lot of long gainers. Just of a lot of between the tackles runs for 5 to 12 yards. They worked the ball down the field and punched it in for a touchdown on the opening drive.
When the Rams got the ball, they had a couple of good gains and I think a first down, maybe two. But were stopped and had to punt.
A short punt gave the Wolfpack the ball near midfield. I felt it coming. Ignatius hadn’t thrown the ball down the field even once. Sure enough. A fade pattern to the pylon. The receiver ran an excellent route getting some separation before the goal line. The well thrown ball resulted in a quick Wolfpack touchdown and a 14-0 lead with plenty of time left in the first quarter.
Not entirely unexpected. St. Ignatius’ 7-0 record is its best start to a season in a long time. People I spoke to did not even know who long. With St. Ignatius not playing football at all for decades in the 1900’s, it could be sixty years since it had a record like this.
I knew coming in they were good, but how good I wasn’t sure. DePaul Prep head coach Mike Passarella told me before that game that Mount Carmel coach Jordon Lynch said, “If we played them ten times, they would beat us ten times.” High praise indeed.
After the trouncing of Mount Carmel early in the season and the favorable press reports, I was anxious to see them.
It would be a long night for the Rams. It was 28-0 St. Ignatius with plenty of time left in the second quarter.
The second half a different story. The game got chippy.
A friend asked, “What does chippy mean?”
It’s kind of hard to define. The players on both sides were in each other’s faces after the plays and finishing blocks after the whistle. Tacklers would take too long getting off the runners. Lots of pushing and shoving after the play.
Many games get chippy right after the outcome becomes obvious. But it usually tappers off and stops. Or the refs put an end to it.
Not this game. It just got worse. At one point, a member of the chain gang on the Ignatius sideline got in shouting match with the Ignatius coaches.
I hesitate to blame either team when this happens because it takes two to tango. The game seemed more about grievance than about the scoreboard.
It is not usually that way in the Chicago Catholic League. It was not that way last week when East Suburban Catholic League powerhouse Notre Dame played the Rams. This is typically not the way the winning team treats the losing team in the CCL.
Several people I spoke to after the game, basically said, “That’s the way they have always been.” One person recounted an exchange of angry words in the press box between supporters of each school.
These things happen I guess. Just an off night. 8-0 is new territory for most teams. I have tremendous respect for the St. Ignatius basketball coaches and players. Matt Monroe is a great coach and a better person. I don’t know the St. Ignatius football coach Matt Miller but I believe he is a good man. Clearly, he is an excellent coach.
I plan the see the Wolfpack again in the playoffs. They are clearly the story in the CCL/ESCC this year.
I also happened into Luke Hales, a recent St. Ignatius graduate and very talented photographer. I got to know him when we would shoot the same basketball games. He is studying communications at the University of Michigan now. He is going to be a famous photographer some day soon. I wanted to be happy for Luke with his beloved Wolfpack having such a great season.
As for the photos, not my best work. I just didn’t feel it tonight. I wasn’t writing a story about the game and publishing the photos any place but here. I also didn’t feel like fooling around with the 300mm. I was taking different kinds of photos tonight. Not typical football shots. So I hope you like them but I will certainly agree if you are underwhelmed.
