IC Catholic senior running back Jordan Rowell got the Knights off to the fast start Saturday they didn’t get in their playoff opener last week. Rowell scored four first-half rushing touchdowns in a 65-0 rout over Paxton-Buckley-Loda in their Class 3A second-round game.
Rowell, who didn’t get much attention in the Knights’ first-round victory over St. Joseph-Ogden, was the focus of the offense early and often for IC Catholic (11-0). The biggest of his touchdowns came on an 82-yard rush on a pitch play. He also ran in a 2-point conversion for the Knights as he finished with seven carries for 117 yards and two receptions for 38 yards.
“We were practicing all week the kind of defense that they run and simulating how we were going to attack them,” Rowell said. “We wanted to get off the ball as fast as possible.”
Junior quarterback Luke Ricobene paced the IC Catholic offense with a balanced attack against the Panthers (9-2). He went 17-of-20 passing for 304 yards and three touchdown passes.
“(Ricobene) and the offensive line executed the plays really well,” IC Catholic coach Bill Krefft said. “They make it look so easy sometimes, but they did a great job.”
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The Knights, who scored six touchdowns on 18 plays last week, weren’t quite as efficient Saturday. They had to settle for six touchdowns on 25 plays on the first half. The IC Catholic defense shut out a Panthers offense that had scored 50 points in their first-round game. This was the Knights’ seventh shutout this season.
“Our offense has been awesome, but we’re really a defense-focused team,” senior defensive back Matt Sutton said. “We really work on that and try to get better on defense.”
Sutton had an interception in the first quarter as well as six receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown.
The Knights led 44-0 at the half and had a running clock the entire second half. The first team stayed on the field until late in the third, but the second unit proved formidable, as well. Junior running back Dan Gibbons scored on a 50-yard run, and sophomore defensive back Sean Hipskind returned an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to finish the job.
“We’re a high-rolling team,” Rowell said. “We believe in pushing for the touchdown whenever we can.”
About the only blemishes on their day were 12 penalties for 128 yards. Krefft wasn’t concerned afterward.
“The penalties come with being aggressive and completing the play,” Krefft said. “If they were dirty or cheap plays, I’d be worried about it. Obviously, we’re going to clean that up and work on it, but we’re an aggressive team.”
The Knights will play Wilmington (11-0) in the Class 3A quarterfinals. The Knights don’t expect their games to get any easier, and they’re determined not to look ahead.
“We’re 11-0 right now, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Sutton said. “Our goal is winning the state championship.”
Chris Vavra is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press