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8-0 MC vs 8-0 LA

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DeanOfSelection

All-Conference
Sep 24, 2002
118,589
1,851
113
penlight said:
When I posted this before the game a few years ago some of you got a big kick out of it so here it is again.

MIND GAMES
By Paul Sullivan. Tribune Staff Writer
Chicago Tribune
Oct 01, 1993 at 12:00 am

Reggie Thompson leans back in his chair, raises his right hand and patiently awaits his turn.

Thompson is one of two dozen Mt. Carmel football players crammed into a small classroom on a rainy Saturday morning at 64th and Dante, getting final instructions from the coaching staff three hours before the Caravan plays Loyola in a battle of Top 10 teams in Wilmette.

Thompson has carefully rehearsed his solitary line, and when head coach Frank Lenti calls out his name, he delivers the words with authority.

"It's time to be the judge, the jury and the executioner," Thompson says in a flat, Arnold Schwarzenegger monotone.

Heads nod all around him, though no one says a word.

It is game day at Mt. Carmel. Like so many places where football is king, athletes and coaches alike prepare by tossing around fighting words like Frisbees.

Each team has its own unique approach to game day. This is how Mt. Carmel prepared last Saturday for Loyola.

Game day starts around 8 a.m., when players file into the school for taping. They will wander over to the nearby practice field and watch the first quarter of the Loyola-Mt. Carmel freshman game before heading to chapel service.

At 10:30, the first of several team meetings takes place in a first-floor classroom. The defensive unit heads in first while a student marches up to the blackboard and hangs up a banner.

"It takes a little more to be a Champion," reads the slogan for a sporting goods company.

For six minutes, no one in the room makes a sound, with only the rain on the windows breaking the silence. Then the defensive coaches make their entrances: line coach John Potocki in front followed by defensive coordinator Dave Lenti, the head coach's brother, and linebackers coach Pete Kammholz.

Lenti goes over defensive assignments and reminds players that Loyola is a team that likes trick plays, particularly on second down with short yardage.

The smallest details are brought up, such as the expected emotional reaction of the players when they board the team bus to begin the 30-mile trip up the Edens Expressway to Loyola.

"Don't burn a lot of energy on the bus getting all excited," Lenti warns. "After a while you'll see the Old Orchard Road exit and you know we're close, and then Lake Avenue. Then you start getting focused."

Toward the end of his remarks, Lenti launches the opening verbal assault on the North Shore, the area Loyola calls home.

"Their fans will be wearing Izods and turtlenecks, barbecueing and having a grand old time," Lenti says.

"There is nothing better than going to someone else's house and taking it over."

The us-versus-them theme will be repeated in the next meeting, when Potocki gives a "demographics" lesson to the offense.

"If you study Chicago history," Potocki says, "you'll find that the people who got a little more money usually moved up north. Now, your ancestors lived on the South Side, and they worked hard all their lives. Nothing was ever given to them. That work ethic, that mental toughness and physical toughness, it's something that is ingrained in us."

During the final meeting, Lenti calls upon the captains and seniors to speak their minds. Quarterback Donovan McNabb, Thompson and runningback Mike Clifford each give a brief speech in understated tones.

"If we lose today we'll be 2-2," Clifford says. "That's average."

He makes a dramatic pause and adds, "I didn't come here to be average."

The meetings end at 11:25. Soon the 45-minute bus ride to Wilmette begins. They arrive in time for a half-hour of warmups in the pouring rain and enter the visitors' locker room 15 minutes before kickoff.

The players sit on four long benches. McNabb walks up and down, slapping low fives.

"Nasty weather for nasty attitudes," Potocki says aloud as he paces the room. Lenti huddles the players into a corner of the room at 1:25 for a pregame prayer, and then delivers his final remarks in full throat.

"Courage, pride, self-esteem," Lenti says, his voice rising. "Great players play great in big games. It's a matter of choice; how good do you want to be?"

Finally, Lenti shouts out his closing refrain, "Who's it up to?"

"Me!" the players reply.

"Who's it up to?"

"Me!"

"Who's it up to?"

"Me!"

With that, 74 young men run out the door toward the rain-soaked field. They return an hour later with a 7-0 lead and heads hung low. After Jovan Harbin's 67-yard touchdown run on the third play, Mt. Carmel's offense was stopped dead. A fumble forced by Thompson at the goal line kept Loyola off the scoreboard.

Linebacker Jeff Cronin gathers the defense on one side of the locker room and instructs them to take off their pads.

"Let's pick it up," Cronin shouts. "You guys are dead out there. For what? I'm not going on another long bus ride home again."

Cronin means the opening-night loss to Joliet Catholic, when the Caravan held an 11-point lead with 4:46 left but lost 27-24.

As the end of halftime approaches, Lenti calls the troops together one last time.

"It's an all-new ballgame," he says. "Defense, let's gang tackle. You've got 24 minutes. You don't need me to charge you up. Let's give 24 of your best."

In another hour, the Caravan comes out with a 7-6 victory, thanks in part to the rain. It helped foul up Loyola's point-after attempt with 2 1/2 minutes left.

In the locker room, Lenti congratulates the kids for the win, but they know the review will be a little harsher during film sessions next week. Caked with mud and sopping wet, they finish celebrating and get back on the bus in full uniform for the return trip to Mt. Carmel.

Cronin smiles as he gets on board. It won't be such a long trip after all.
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LA went to 2-2 after that game then ended up winning 6A going 12-2. MC won out through the reg season finished 8-1 culminating in a 35-20 win over an 8-0 Rita at Gately. Was bitterly cold that night. MC lost to DLS in 2nd round in their 3rd game in a week in the last year of the Wed playoff game.
 
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ignazio

All-Conference
Oct 25, 2007
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MC63

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
6,607
2,554
113
From reading Paul Sullivan for sevral years, I've detrmined that he's from the south Side of suburbs, and he went to a Cathollic HS.
 
crusader_of_90

crusader_of_90

All-American
Nov 1, 2003
11,787
9,681
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ignazio said:
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I am starting with a split of the Julienne salad with my dining companion and going with the Reuben or the French Dip and the tots.

Dammit I am hungry.

(After looking up their website and seeing it was an old farmhouse, I believer I have been here. Was told of these great burgers - they lived up to expectations!)
 
C

Corey90

All-Conference
Aug 27, 2005
8,657
4,080
113
lookoutforliam said:
The battle will be won in the trenches. Good luck to the Caravan and the Ramblers. Two great great programs.
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There are going to be some unhappy fans after this one. Only because someone has to lose. I give LA the slight edge because they are at home. It’s going to be a battle and either team could win. 2 great programs for sure!
 
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8

80sRambler

Senior
Oct 28, 2022
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It will stream on Rambler Stream but the kids are forced out of the booth and into the stands due to the TV broadcast. This happened last year and the stream really suffered — most of fourth quarter there was no stream only to have it return for final plays being streamed from end zone down on the field. Fingers crossed it’s a better experience this year.
 
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E

eagles2k3

All-Conference
Dec 26, 2003
1,922
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80sRambler said:
It will stream on Rambler Stream but the kids are forced out of the booth and into the stands due to the TV broadcast. This happened last year and the stream really suffered — most of fourth quarter there was no stream only to have it return for final plays being streamed from end zone down on the field. Fingers crossed it’s a better experience this year.
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Didn’t even know it was on tv. That’s outstanding. CW game of the week!
 
4

4Afan

All-Conference
Sep 15, 2001
4,847
4,333
113
playboymixx said:
The stream must have been cancelled. For a while it said that it was forthcoming, but now there's different event. Oh well. Hopefully, there will be some good updates today.
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In the Chicago area it's on the CW.
 
8

80sRambler

Senior
Oct 28, 2022
447
515
93
Twitter tells me MC drove to first and goal from the 2 on their first drive but turned it over on downs.
 
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