Nazareth’s Zach Hayes makes a catch during a 37-7 win over Benet on Oct. 21. Photo by Steve Metsch

Nazareth’s Zach Hayes makes a catch during a 37-7 win over Benet on Oct. 21. Photo by Steve Metsch

Nazareth steamrolls into playoffs with rout of Benet

Spread the love

By Steve Metsch
Correspondent

When Nazareth coach Tim Racki was piecing together the Roadrunners’ 2022 schedule, he wanted to ensure the Roadrunners would be battle-tested by season’s end.

He loaded the schedule with games against 2021 Class 5A runner-up Kankakee, perennial power Lemont and tough Catholic League opponents including Marist and St. Rita. After a 2-0 opening win over the Kays on opening night, the Roadrunners lost at home to Lemont, the RedHawks and the Mustangs.

The challenge paid off, as Nazareth (5-4) rallied from a 1-3 start to the season and being on the brink of playoff elimination at 2-4 to make the Class 5A field with a 37-7 win over Benet in the final regular-season game Oct. 21 at Benedictine University.

“I’ve never seen a tougher schedule for a Nazareth football team, Weeks 1 through 6,” Racki said after the victory. “You’ve got to be resilient and hang in there and they did. If you had an easy schedule, especially with these young guys, that’s when you get a false confidence heading into the playoffs.

Nazareth scored on each of its first five possessions. Sophomore quarterback Logan Malachuk threw three touchdown passes and Justin Taylor scored twice. Nazareth piled up 316 yards on offense and held Benet to 87.

Racki was all smiles after the game when he reminded his team that “everyone is now 0-0.”

The Roadrunners lived up to their name and started fast, capping the opening 80-yard drive with a 7-yard scoring strike from Malachuk to Taylor with 6:42 left in the first quarter.

After a bad snap led to a blocked punt, Nazareth was at Benet’s 46. Taylor soon ran in from 4 yards out with 10:39 left in the second quarter to lead 14-0.

Malachuk hit Hayes with a 14-yard touchdown pass with 4:40 left for a 21-0 lead, then zipped a TD pass from 11 yards to a wide-open James Penley for a 28-0 halftime advantage.

Penley, a sophomore who had 70 yards on four receptions, said the team’s rough start this season “doesn’t reflect the work these boys put in.”

“We’re a brotherhood,” he added. “We knew if we put our heads down and continued to work, it was going to be a success.”

Malachuk, who was 17 of 25 for 239 yards, agreed.

“We’re battle-tested,” the sophomore quarterback said. “Even when stuff doesn’t go our way, we bounce back because we’ve been through it. We trust each other. That’s what it’s all about, and now we’re clicking.”

A 2-yard plunge by freshman Edward McClain Jr. made it 35-0 with 6:53 left in the third.

Benet’s Ryan Kubacki spoiled the shutout with a 1-yard run with 2:56 left to play.

Redwings Coach Pat New called Nazareth sophomore Gabe Kaminski the best defensive end he has seen this season. Kaminski had a big sack early in the game and was in the Benet backfield all night.

Kaminski had six tackles, three sacks and was credited with a safety.

“We bonded together as a team,” Kaminski said of the Roadrunners’ three-game winning streak to qualify for the playoffs. “That’s how we did it.”

Taylor, who had five receptions for 100 yards and next year will play at Wisconsin, said Nazareth planned to come out fast.

“Even if the car breaks down, never take your foot off the gas,” he added. “We’re really dangerous. Everybody kind of overlooks us because we were 5-4 in the regular season, but if you look at it, we played a really tough schedule. We’re always in the fight.”

Local News

Marist's Jack Meader (left) and Nathen Toth face each other during a block attempt against Downers Grove North in the semifinals of the Marist Invitational on March 23. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Volleyball | Marist tops Lockport for Gold at RedHawks Invite

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent Marist enjoys getting its season going by hosting a tournament that is now in its 20th year. They had a good time again this season, going unbeaten over five matches in two days to win the Marist RedHawks Invitational for the sixth consecutive time. The RedHawks ended the tournament…

summit police logo

2 charged in Summit junkyard burglary

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Two men have been charged in connection with a break-in last month at the Pick-n-Pull used auto parts store and junkyard in Summit. George Ainalakis, 39, of Carol Stream, was arrested February 26 at the business, while Chad Wickert, 40, of Brookfield, was arrested March 13 by Hodgkins police. Police…

Priscilla Steinmetz, of Orland Park's Bridge Teen Center, has fun March 7 at Congressman Sean Casten's desk in Washington. (Bridge Teen Center photo)

Casten secures $11M for district; invites Bridge Teen founder to State of Union

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Congressman Sean Casten is bringing some big bucks home. Casten (D-6th) announced that he helped secure more than $11 million in federal funding for local community projects. Included in that bounty is: $1.28 million to Evergreen Park for water main replacement. $500,000 to La Grange for storm and sanitary sewer…

Forest View Village Clerk Laura McGuffey (left) swears in Maria Guzman as a full-time police officer while Chief Bianel Zarate looks on. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Forest View swears in new police officers

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a new full-time police officer and a newly promoted corporal on the force. In front of a full-house at their February 27 Board of Trustees meeting, Clerk Laura McGuffey did the honors swearing-in Maria Guzman as a full-time officer, and promoting Officer Jorge Sanchez…

Abraham Kiswani was sentenced to two years for income tax evasion.

Burbank businessman sentenced for income tax evasion

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A Burbank businessman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for willfully evading more than $3.7 million in federal and state income taxes. Abraham Kiswani, 54, pleaded guilty last year to a federal tax evasion charge.  In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah…

Trinity Christian College of Nursing received a grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. (Supplied photo)

Trinity, MVCC nursing schools schools receive state grants

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong The Illinois Board of Higher Education has awarded nursing school grants to 12 institutions of higher education across the state, including two in the south suburbs, totaling $1.4 million. Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills received a grant of $38,316 to focus on improved math proficiency and preparedness of…

biz runnings logo NEW

Runnings holds grand opening in Homer Glen

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong The big-box store at 15830 S. Bell Road in Homer Glen has certainly had a storied past. Once upon a time, it was part of the Kmart chain. That ended years ago. Since then, it has been a Big R, a Stock + Field, and an R.P. Home and Harvest.…

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid celebrates winning the Democratic primary in the 21st House District with Safaa Zarzour (left) and wife Fidaa, who holds their 1-month-old son Mohammad Zain, at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. in Chicago Ridge. (Photos by Steve Metsch)

Rashid rolls in 21st House, but Vasquez plans rematch

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid may have rolled to victory over challenger Vidal Vasquez in the 21st House District Democratic primary, but he took nothing for granted. “I am humbled and honored that the voters chose to send me back and I look forward to continuing the work ahead of us,”…

Flock Safety camera on pole

Hickory Hills to install 6 license-plate cameras

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Hickory Hills aldermen approved the installation of six Flock license plate cameras at their March 14 city council meeting. City officials said the Flock cameras will help police pick up the license plate and description of a wanted vehicle. Nearby communities including Oak Lawn and Palos Hills have also utilized…

Brookfield Zoo Chicago's Anniversary Ferris Wheel features 24 gondolas that each seat up to six people. The attraction will be at the Zoo through Dec. 31, 2024. (Photo by Jim Schulz/Brookfield Zoo Chicago)

Brookfield Zoo Anniversary Ferris Wheel now open

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Brookfield Zoo has been attracting visitors for 90 years. To celebrate the anniversary, the zoo has opened a new attraction that has nothing to do with animals. Last Friday, the zoo opened its Anniversary Ferris Wheel. The towering 110-foot Ferris wheel offers guests unique bird’s-eye views of the park’s gardens, animal…

Neighbors

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

By BETH HUNDSDORFER  Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com Cyrenthia Threat spent Wednesday morning at a hiring event in Fairview Heights waiting for word on whether she was hired by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.  Threat wants to move to Illinois from Georgia where she works as a social worker. She has 20 years…

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted for staging a hate crime against him in 2019 in a case that drew criticism for Cook County’s top prosecutor. Smollett made what turned out to be…

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

By PETER HANCOCK  Capitol News Illinois  phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the state to ease the strain have made an impact.  That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools,…

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval.   Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The longtime chair and a relatively new member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced Monday. The governor’s office announced the pair’s resignations within hours of each other nearly two weeks after Crosetti Brand was released from Stateville Correctional Center. Brand is…

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

By ALEX ABBEDUTO   Capitol News Illinois  abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com  The night before Rebecca Hooks started at the Illinois State Police Academy in 2002, she spoke on the phone with her father and her brother – both of whom worked in law enforcement.  Her father encouraged her, telling her she was strong and could get through the…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…