AURORA – Marmion never expected to be in the second round of the playoffs this season, but it's been a year of beating the odds.

Boylan, though, was too much to overcome.

The sheer physicality of the Titans proved to be too much for the Cadets as Boylan defeated Marmion 38-6 in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs Nov. 9.

“Nobody expected us to make it this far," Marmion quarterback Padraig Fitzgerald said. "Everyone doubted us at the beginning of the year. I can see why. We didn’t have a great team last year and we didn’t have many kids come back. We made something out of nothing."

Boylan (11-0) advances to host Sycamore, an overtime winner over Montini. Marmion (7-4), meanwhile, credited much of its success this season to senior leadership.

“The seniors went 100% every game. They treated each play like it was their last,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s hard to be down because we never thought we’d be here."

"It’s a credit to our senior leaders. They left the program better than they started," Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. "They believed that they would be here."

From the first drive of the game, Boylan showed what a physical team it can be. In the first play, the Cadets had a 4-yard loss.

“We came out kind of flat which is unlike us. We usually come out pretty strong," said Jack Scales, a Marmion junior running back. "They beat us in the physicality stand point of the game which hit us hard. We were kind of shocked. We tried to bounce back. We couldn’t find it. They just kept the upper hand."

Trey Malone got the first 8-yard run touchdown to put the Titans on the board with a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. With less than 2 minutes left in the first quarter, Tristen Gile had a 2-yard run to take Boylan ahead 12-0.

“The trick has been somebody different each week that’s willing to step up," Boylan coach John Cacciatore said. "I know some of those kids are repeat offenders who keep getting the football, but somebody who you weren’t expecting from the week before has been somebody who has taken the torch and done a spectacular job of their preparation. I can’t say I’m the wizard controlling it all. It surprises us even as coaches which kid is going to step up and who it’s going to be."

With 9:37 on the clock in the second quarter, Xavier Bryant had a 24-yard touchdown run to take the Titans ahead 18-0.

“As the season has gone on, Xavier has got hotter and hotter. He’s a lot of fun to watch," Cacciatore said. "He’s the guy who has the most balance out there."

Marmion got its first and only touchdown of the game with six minutes remaining in the first half. Scales scored an 84-yard touchdown pass from Fitzgerald to get on the board 18-6.

“We ran a simple play. It was a busted play and then turned it and Paddy put the ball right where I needed it in the perfect spot," Scales said. "A kid tried to tackle me, but I high stepped it right over him and scored. I just ran until I got into the end zone."

With 54 seconds left in the half, Gile scored a 1-yard run to make it 25-6. Marmion came out stronger in the third quarter and kept the Titans from scoring. Two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, took the Titans ahead 38-6.

“In the third quarter, the offense definitely got going. The defense was getting into a groove," Scale said. "We started getting going, but we just didn’t have enough in the third quarter defensively. We’ll be back."