DePaul Prep Handles St. Patrick 41-0

[Preview of this week’s Inside Booster article]

By Jack Lydon

The DePaul Prep Rams took apart the St. Patrick Shamrocks 41-0 at DePaul Prep on Friday evening. The Rams improved their 4-0, 2-0 in the CCL/ESCC Purple division. This game against the Shamrocks, 2-2, 1-1, also in the Purple, took on the added significance because it was a division game.

It was a busy evening on the west end of Roscoe Village. DePaul Prep hosted St. Patrick, the only other Catholic high school on the Northside. Lane hosted Whitney Young at Lane Stadium at the same time just a few hundred yards north of DePaul’s field. Parking was difficult to come by.

Before the game, the DePaul Prep fans, coaches and staff I talked to were tightlipped about what to expect.

“They’re good. And big,” a couple people told me.

Another observer told me, “DePaul 20-13.”

“They can run the football, but they haven’t played anyone that can pass the ball like we can,” one coach told me.

It didn’t take long for the Rams show exactly how well they can pass the ball. And score. Less than two minutes into the game, Rams senior quarterback Juju Rodriguez hit senior wideout Justin Sterner on a twenty-five-yard touchdown.

Not long thereafter, Rams’ senior running back Nick Martinez added another touchdown with a 37-yard for a touchdown. 14-0.

Rams’ senior wide receiver Braden Peevy scored a four-yard touchdown with 6:55 left in the second quarter to make the score 21-0. The Rams were rolling.

Then with nine seconds left in the half, Rodriguez connected with junior wide receiver Matthew Osterman on a 23-yard post route at the back of the north endzone for a fourth touchdown and a 27-0 half time lead.

To some extent, that was expected. The Rams and Juju, a three-year starter, can pass the ball and score. What was not expected was the way the Rams defense controlled the Shamrocks. St. Patrick’s strung together a couple first downs in the first quarter but never threated to score in the first half. The Rams defense held on every possession and forced punts. The Shamrocks offensive line is huge. The Rams defensive line stopped the run. The closest the Shamrocks go to scoring as a 52-yard field goal attempt late in the game that was on target but a came up few yards short.

It felt like the Rams were just taking-care-of-business. St. Patrick had a winning record. They are big and skilled. Yet the Rams handled them on offense and defense.

I remember interviewing Rams head coach Mike Passarella several years ago. He said something to me after a tough loss that stuck with me. “We haven’t learned how to win yet.”

The Rams have learned how to win.

“I think it started last year. It started with us losing a game against Providence [Catholic in New Lenox] by a couple points. Then we beat Fenwick in double overtime. We learned how to compete, how to stay in games and how to finish games. When I started here, it was a rough go in the beginning. Then every year it was a steady climb. We grew up last year,” Passarella said.

When one learn how to win, I guess it just feels like taking care-of-business. Check off another game on the schedule.

But the goal of the season is to get into to the playoffs. The Catholic school super football conference, a combination of the Chicago Catholic League and the East Suburban Catholic League, doesn’t make it easy to get to the playoffs. To be assured a playoff spot, the IHSA requires a 6-3 record. Getting six wins in the CCL/ESCC is tough for every team. You just don’t play teams at your level. You play teams from the higher divisions of the conference.

The Rams face Loyola next week from the Blue Division. Loyola has lost one game in the last three seasons. The Rams will play St. Francis (Wheaton) from the Green Division. The Rams will play Carmel Catholic from the White Division. Very good teams with winning programs. And then there are St. Viator and Benet Academy, historically successful programs and new rivals in the Purple Division. To make the playoffs, the Rams have to find two wins in those five games against teams from the upper levels of the Catholic League.

Asked what he is going to change to get ready for Loyola, Passarla said, “Honestly, nothing. Our practice is going to be the same during the week. The kids know that when we are on the road, it’s a business trip. This is the first group that has the ability to flip the switch and be engaged. They want it.”

They turned a corner. They learned how to win.

“Yup, this group is hungry. This senior class wants to be the first class to bring us back to the playoffs for the first time in a decade,” Passarella concluded.

DePaul Prep 60, Providence 32

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated Providence Catholic 60-32 on Tuesday evening at the DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym. The Rams improve to 23-2 overall record and 4-0 in the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division.

The season is quickly drawing to a close with only five games left, St. Ignatius, DeLaSalle, Fenwick, Mount Carmel and Benet. The next four games will decide who wins the Catholic League. The Mount Carmel game will be a home game for the Rams. It is a rescheduled game from a couple weeks ago when we were supposed to have a foot of snow that never materialized. The basketball gods must have caused the postponement to draw out the excite to the penultimate game of the season.

Here are some photos from last night’s DePaul Prep v. Providence game.

DePaul Prep Beats Fenwick 44-43 in Double Overtime

The biggest win in school history for DePaul Prep? It’s not Gordon Tech’s State Championship in 1980 but it sure feels like the biggest win for the new DePaul Prep Rams in ten years of being DePaul Prep.

The DePaul Prep Rams (4-4, 1-1 in CCL/ESCC Red) beat the Fenwick Friars (4-4, 1-1 in CCL/ESCC Orange) 44 to 43 in double overtime Friday night at DePaul Prep.  

In talking to some fans before the game, I asked, “How is Fenwick?’

“It’s Fenwick, but it not Fenwick Fenwick,” I was told.

 The Rams had a chance. And they believed. What’s new about this year is that they can score. They have big-play players. And they score a lot. In their last five games, they have scored 38, 28, 36, 35 and 44 points. I don’t know what Rams’ junior quarterback Fernando “JuJu” Rodriguez did over the summer but whatever it is, somebody should bottle it. His play at quarterback has improved 100%. His throws are on time and on target and the Rams are scoring.

Rams’ senior running back Titus Bautista provides the perfect counter-punch to Rodriguez big arm. Recievers Bradon Peevy, Michael Bloom and Jack West catch the ball and they are only juniors.

Even so, the Rams struggled in the first quarter playing the entire quarter in their own end. They gave up two early field goals and a touchdown falling behind 12-0. But actually it didn’t feel bad. The Rams can score quick and that they did.

On the first play of the second quarter, a perfectly executed screen pass to Bautista flipped the field position bringing the Rams from deep in their own end to the Fenwick redzone. A couple play later it was 12-7.

After having given up a field goal to the Friars with 6:14 to go in the fourth, the Rams trailed 23-29. They took over at their own 21 after Michael Bloom’s kickoff return. With third down and five on their own 26, a quick hitch from Fernandez to junior wide receiver Braden Peevy, then a lateral out to Bautista who sprinted out of the backfield and down the sideline to Fenwick’s 40 yard-line.

A fourth and five scramble by Rodriguez down to the 28-yard line kept the Rams alive. A couple plays later, another fourth down, still from the 28-yard line. This is the Rams’ shot. After coming so close against Providence, after giving late scores against Marian Catholic and being unable to score on a game ending driving, could the Rams make it happen? After years of incremental improvements and confidence building, could this be the hump the Rams get over?

With 4th and 10 and the game, the season and the future on the line, they stood there looking to the sideline for the play. The play clock ticked down; the Rams took the play and lined up. With Rams’ head coach Mike Passarella running down the sideline calling for a time out, the side judge blows his whistle as the Rams snap the ball.

Time out.

Back out on the field. 4th and 10 from the 28. The ball placed on the far hash mark. Senior wide receiver Michael Bloom split out to Rodriguez’s left. Junior Bradon Peevy to his right. Junior running back Nick Martinez in the slot left next to Bloom, junior Jack West in the wideside slot next to Peevy.

Will we look back on this play as the turning point for the football program, or will the losing continue?

Martinez goes in motion to wide side. Bloom launches up field and dips in toward the post, then bolts straight up the sideline past the Fenwick corner like he was standing still.

The offensive line pushes the four Fenwick pass rushers outside and Rodriguez moves up in the pocket. Fenwick’s stud defensive tackle Nate Marshall breaks back up the middle to meet JuJu and stop the pass. Rodriguez lets it fly. Bloom slows up to get the ball. He catches the game tying touchdown in the endzone just before the Fenwick corner can break up the pass.

Huge. Great call. Clutch throw. Tremendous catch. Touchdown Rams!

The game is tied. 

Of course, Fenwick gets a tremendous push up the middle and blocks the Rams extra point. Still tied with 2:03 to play.

Fenwick moves the ball into DePaul Prep territory and with two seconds on the clock, the Friars line up for a 40-yard field goal.

No good. To overtime we go all tied at 29.

Rams have it first from the 10 yard-line in the South end. They score, adding a PAT. Rams 36, Friars 29.

Now the Friars. They score adding a PAT. Double overtime. Rams 36, Friars 36.

Now the Friars have it again. They score adding the PAT. Friars 43, Rams 36.

I never doubted the Rams would score again. They had come too far. But how long could this go on? Titus Bautista around the right end on the first play. Friars 43, Rams 42.

Mike Passarella never hesitated. As soon as I looked back toward the sideline, after Bautista scored, Passarella was raising two fingers. They were going for two points to win the game.

Fenwick called a time out to talk it over.

Two-point conversion attempt from the 3. Peevy split right. Bloom split left. Three backs in the backfield with Rodriguez. Shot gun snap to Rodriguez who gets immediate pressure from his left. Peevy ducks inside into double coverage then slips back toward the sideline. Rodriguez, with a man on him, throws to Peevy breaking to the sideline. TOUCHDOWN. (2-point conversion really.) Rams win. Rams win!

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated Fenwick 44-43 drawing even on the year at 4 wins and 4 losses and chance to make the playoff with a win at DeLaSalle next Friday.

A huge win for a DePaul Prep Rams football team that hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent years. Bill Jeske didn’t know how long it has been since the Rams beat Fenwick. 20 years maybe. Former athletic director Paul Chabura confirmed that the last time DePaul Prep/Gordon Tech beat Fenwick was in 2000 in a Prep Bowl playoff.

“Final was 24-6. Scott Baum was the coach. The Rams came close a few times but that was the last win,” Chabura wrote.

The Rams have improved no doubt. The culture is back. The program is bursting at the seams. They just needed that turn the corner win.

The skies parted literally and figuratively for DePaul Prep football Friday with a huge signature Catholic League crossover win against the Fenwick Friars.

I guess we will have to see if it is the turning point it feels like.

Watch the game for yourself on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WE0YCfXubw

DePaul Prep v. Providence Game Photo Gallery

On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, the Providence Catholic girls varsity visited DePaul Prep’s Tom Winiecki Gym to face the Rams. These are the best of the photos I took that evening.

DePaul Prep Defeated Providence Catholic 55-38

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated the Providence Catholic Celtics 55-38 last night (Feb. 24) at the Tom Winiecki Gym.

TY Johnson was honored before the game for scoring his 1,000 point as a varsity player in the first game of the year against St. Joseph.

Today was my day for getting photos of the coaches and of blocked shots.

I hope you like the photos.

DePaul Prep Throttles Providence 59-22

The #19 DePaul Prep Rams (6-1, 3-0) dispatched Providence Catholic 59-22 Friday evening (December 13, 2019). A 22-0 run by the Rams over the second and third quarters did in the Celtics (4-4, 0-3). The Rams defense and poor shooting by the Celtics made for the lopsided score.

The Rams face Leo next Friday at Leo before the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic starts up the week of Christmas.

DePaul Prep Handles Providence, Improves to 8-0

The last time I was at Providence Catholic in Lemont was five years ago when Gordon Tech faced Providence and Miles Boykin in a football game. The Rams played hard but lost 42-0. This evening there was a measure of payback.

The DePaul Prep Rams took apart the Providence Celtics at Providence like I haven’t seen in a Catholic League game in as long as I can remember. The first half ended 31-8. The Rams continued their intense play. They continue to play angry. There was no let down. I over heard some Providence parents talking after the game. They kept saying, “our boys played hard but that’s a good team.” “That’s a good team.”

Rams 56, Celtics 25. DePaul Prep improves to 4-0 in the CCL and 8-0 overall. ESCC crossover game tomorrow (Sat., Dec. 14, 2008) versus Benet Academy in the Tom Winiecki Gym. The Rams look to repeat last year’s victory over Benet when the Rams won 35-34 at Benet on Lance Mosley’s last second jumper.

As for the photos, Providence has the nicest light of any gym I can remember. Very clean white light and plenty of it. The photos turned pretty good. I got a couple nice one of Perry Cowen’s dunk.

Hope you like the photos.