It was a big week for the Ulatowski family, and Friday night was Tommy’s turn to shine.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior quarterback ran for three touchdowns in the rain, powering the St. Rita football team to a 42-7 victory over Rolling Meadows in the first round of the Class 7A state playoffs in Chicago.
Ulatowski’s sister Grace, a junior outside hitter, helped lead the Lemont girls volleyball team to a Class 3A regional title with wins Tuesday and Thursday.
Wild, huh?
“The house is hectic,” Tommy said. “This is awesome getting the chance, especially last year when the postseasons were canceled. It’s been two years since we have gotten the opportunity to compete in the playoffs.”
Ulatowski scored on his first three carries with a 2-yard run, a 1-yard run and a 30-yard burst in sending St. Rita (8-2) to the second round. The Mustangs will travel to either Geneva or Collinsville.
Ohio State recruit Kaleb Brown, who was injured early in the first game of the regular season against Mount Carmel, suited up but did not make his long-awaited return.
Two things prevented that. One was the rainy conditions. The other was St. Rita took a quick 21-0 lead over Rolling Meadows (5-5), so coach Todd Kuska decided to keep Brown on the sideline.
Sophomores Ethan Middleton and D.J. Stewart, however, took care of business and gave Mustang fans something to look forward to heading in 2022 and 2023.
Middleton contributed 161 yards and two TDs, while Stewart added 96 yards, including a 33-yard TD in the third quarter.
“This is something D.J. and I were dreaming about since freshman year,” Middleton said. “We got our opportunity and we said, ‘Let’s make this count.'”
Injuries to Brown and senior Kyle Clayton helped create this youth movement. Stewart had 170 yards as St. Rita closed the season with a 31-7 win at Notre Dame. That came a week after Middleton ran for 115 yards in a 35-0 win over Providence.
Even though he had a 78-yard run on the first play from scrimmage Friday to set up Ulatowski’s first TD, Middleton was his own worst critic.
“I should have scored on that first play,” he said. “And I should have had more yards. Next week, I’m shooting for 200.”
Since a 37-7 loss to Loyola on Sept. 11, the Mustangs have reeled off a seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 249-74. That includes shutouts against Benet, St. Patrick and Providence.
Rolling Meadows was a 7A semifinalist in 2019 but needed two wins on the road in the final two weeks to get into the playoffs. The Mustangs beat Elk Grove 41-13 and pulled off a tight 26-24 victory over Prospect to qualify.
Junior quarterback Evan Grace entered the game with 1,787 yards passing and 22 TDs. He was held to 38 yards before completing an 88-yard TD pass with the running clock during the fourth quarter.
On defense, defensive back Liam Bartos had an interception while lineman Djabril McNabb had two fumble recoveries for St. Rita. Linebacker Brendan Mandel added a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter.
McNabb’s first fumble recovery came on Rolling Meadows’ first play from scrimmage. The second was in the second quarter, and McNabb was off to the races on a 50-yard run.
That the play, however, was called back due to a penalty.
“The ball is slippery and we were told the ball is going to be coming out and look for the ball,” McNabb said. “Knock it out. Strip sack. Anything you can do.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.