For Nazareth’s Notre Dame-bound Julian Love, the new lights at Valenta Stadium allow more members of his family to attend his football games.
The Roadrunners’ 56-28 victory over St. Patrick (2-1, 0-1 East Suburban Catholic) on Friday, Sept.11, was the first regular-season home night game in school history, after lights were installed permanently last week. Nazareth is the last school in the conference to light up its football field.
The victory was the Roadrunners’ 17th in a row going back to last season, which ties 2014 Class 3A champion Wilmington for the longest active streak in the state.
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The addition of lights gave Love’s grandparents a rare opportunity to watch him play in a home game. Love, a two-way threat as a defensive back and running back, scored on a 3-yard run to give the Roadrunners (3-0, 1-0) a 21-7 lead in the second quarter.
“(My grandparents) are the toughest people I know,” Love said. “I play for them. I’m happy we can share the experience with them.”
Love’s grandfather, Jose Santana, has been unable to watch Saturday games in person due to working at a jewelry store in Chicago. Love said his grandfather usually follows his Saturday home games while watching live streaming on the internet at work.
Love’s father, D.T. Love, works at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago and missed three games last season.
“I won’t miss (the games) now,” D.T. Love said. “It’s a struggle to find people to work for you or alternate working for you (on Saturdays). I had to work for their last home game. Now I can get here and enjoy it.”
Julian Love’s mother, Ivonne Love, also had to miss previous Nazareth home games due to working every other Saturday afternoon.
The Loves were just two of the Nazareth parents celebrating the arrival of Friday night football to the campus. Kevin Dunn, the father of junior lineman Devonte Dunn, plans on taking his son to football games at colleges where Devonte is interested in playing.
Kevin and Devonte Dunn were planning to attend Illinois State’s game against Morgan State on Saturday night in Normal. On Sept. 19, they are set on traveling to Terre Haute, Ind, after Indiana State recently became the first school to offer Devonte a football scholarship.
“Last year, we couldn’t do that,” Kevin Dunn said. “There were schools we were interested in, but we couldn’t see them play.”
Kevin Dunn said he also missed Saturday home games for Nazareth on days he had to work as a Junior ROTC instructor at Douglass in Chicago.
“Watching it was amazing, enjoying those Friday night lights,” Kevin Dunn said of growing up attending high school football in Memphis, Tenn.
Sophomore center Gavin Smith of Hinsdale said in the past he and his father Brian would attend Friday night games at Lyons, Benet or Hinsdale Central wondering when lights would come to Nazareth.
“It really is special to have that experience of your own,” Gavin Smith said. “It’s cool. It’s a whole other experience.”
Kelly-Martin runs for record
Junior Ivory Kelly-Martin scored a school-record six touchdowns in barely more than one half Friday,.
Kelly-Martin’s last touchdown came on a 70-yard kickoff return to begin the second half and give the Roadrunners a 56-14 lead. Kelly-Martin rushed for four touchdowns in the first half when he carried the ball 14 times for 221 yards.
“It’s fun for me, but the guys (on the offensive line) shoulder the load for me,” Kelly-Martin said. “They help me out first. I just use my speed, cut to the hole, find some breakaway speed and pick it up.”
Kelly-Martin, who missed most of last season after tearing an ACL in his right knee, scored the game’s first TD as a defensive player when he scooped up a fumbled snap in the end zone on the fourth play of the game. His other TDs came on rushes of 4, 70, 12 and 30 yards.
In the first half, he outgained St. Patrick’s entire offense, which had 144 yards.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Nazareth coach Tim Racki said. “I see him every day. I know how hard he works. He’s better than he was before (the injury).”
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