High school football: Loyola handles St. Patrick and looks ahead to showdown vs. Mount Carmel

Jake Stearney’s work was done earlySaturday afternoon. Coming out for halftime with Loyola up by 46 points, the Ramblers senior quarterbackwas wearing a baseball cap and carrying a tablet.

Two quarters’ worth of a runningclock later, Loyola had beaten St. Patrick 53-7 and Stearney and his teammates could finally discuss what everyone has been talking about: next week’s showdown in Wilmette between No. 1 Mount Carmel and No. 2 Loyola.

At stake: the CCL/ESCC Blue title, IHSA playoff seeding and plenty of bragging rights in the Chicago area and beyond.

“We haven’t overlooked any team we’ve played,” Stearney said. “But definitely this game was in the back of our minds for some time now. We’re going to have a great week of prep and just do our thing.”

In the postgamehuddle, Loyola coach John Holecek told his players they’d be underdogs for the first time all year.

“We’ll take it,” Stearney said. “Obviously in our minds we know we’re the best team in the state and the Midwest. Then again, getting that noise — they’re ranked No. 1, we’re ranked No. 2 — it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day.”

Asked if he was glad Mount Carmel week is finally here, Holecek said jokingly, “I’ll be glad when it’s over.

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say [Mount Carmel is] one of the best teams I’ve ever seen in high school. … They’re a machine and we knew that last year when they were all juniors.”

Both teams are 8-0 overall, 3-0 in the conference. Mount Carmel’s closest game was a 28-21 win at Brother Rice two weeks ago; Loyola’s narrowest win was 28-17 at Marist also two weeks ago.

The Ramblers came into the season expecting to be explosive on offense with plenty of experience and depth, and that’s proven to be the case. Loyola isaveraging 44 points a game. Coming into his abbreviated outing on Saturday, Holy Cross recruit Stearney was completing 73% of his passes for 1,477 yards and 25 touchdowns with three interceptions.

Will Nimesheim, who had a TD run and TD reception as Loyola opened a 22-0 first-quarter lead on Saturday is a proven back and sophomore Luke Foster was an effective second option.

But Drew McPherson, another sophomore, is out with an injury. “He’s a home-run threat every time he runs,” Holecek said. “Fastest guy on our team.”

The defense, which was the more unproven unit heading into the year, is giving up 14 points a game. Starting defensive tackle Joe Kelly is out for the season because of an injury, so Western Michigan-bound tight end Jack Parker is getting defensive snaps and making his presence felt.

The leader on that side of the ball is 6-6 lineman Brooks Bahr, a Michigan recruit who believes the defense is trending up.

“We started off strong, we’ve had our ups and downs throughout the season,” Bahr said. “Then again, we’re executing nicely and correcting the stuff we need to work on. It’s nice to see that all the guys are buying in, doing their thing.”

Now comes the big test.

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