Heroics, and the warriors who provide such inspiration, were in abundance Saturday at Gately Stadium as No. 7 Mt. Carmel and No. 6 Carmel brought out in one another the essence of playoff football.
In the end, after Carmel quarterback Mark Venegoni had driven his team 58 yards in the final 34 seconds and had two passes in the end zone broken up, the 6-foot-3-inch, 190-pound junior was sacked in Mt. Carmel’s 28-21 victory in the Class 6A quarterfinals.
The Caravan (11-1) will be at home Saturday to face Rock Island (11-1) in the semifinals.
Despite completing 14-of-19 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns, Venegoni lay face down on the turf after being dropped by P.J. Blough. Mt. Carmel receiver Frank Lenti Jr. helped him up and gave him a hug as the Gately Stadium crowd of more than 8,000 left.
Mt. Carmel coach Frank Lenti received permission from Carmel coach Andy Bitto to address the disconsolate players from Mundelein.
“So many times people believe that we come into games with the most talent,” Lenti said. “Not today. At halftime, I told our offense they’d have to outplay Carmel’s offense because [the Corsairs] were just too good.”
Unheralded Caravan running back Bryan Harney broke a 7-7 tie with a 6-yard run late in the third quarter.
That ignited a furious finish in which each team scored on the next four possessions. First Venegoni hit 6-6 Jack Simmons with a 15-yard TD pass.
Back came Harney with a 29-yard TD run followed by quarterback Dan O’Brien’s two-point run. Harney rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.
With 2:37 left in the game, Carmel’s Mike Serio scored on a 5-yard run, and the PAT kick made it 21-21. Serio had a 57-yard TD catch in the second quarter.
More Top Picks Best Tablets For Seniors With Low Vision
O’Brien and running back Greg Owens (21 carries, 133 yards) took turns running for big yardage behind 6-2, 285-pound Robbie Krutilla until O’Brien scored from the 1 with 35 seconds to go.
“Their defensive guys were a lot smaller than our offensive players, but they kept digging and scrapping like a bunch of Marines or Navy Seals,” said Bitto, whose team ended 11-1. “We were forced to throw the ball.
“To me this was like a state championship game.”
Said Harney: “This means a lot to us. I knew there wasn’t going to be any giving up on either side. The adrenaline was unbelievable because this is the kind of game you love to play in.”