Marquette rushes, passes its way past Elmwood Park in blowout win

ELMWOOD PARK – The Marquette Academy football team under coach Tom Jobst historically has been pretty tough to stop when they execute their running game, and Friday night’s Chicagoland Prairie Conference opener at Elmwood Park was no exception.

But if it can consistently throw the ball as efficiently as it did on the road against the Tigers, it will take that attack to a whole other level.

The Crusaders rushed the ball successfully again, posting a solid 348 yards and six touchdowns on 48 carries in a 49-14 victory over Elmwood Park.

The contest also marked a coming out party of sorts for sophomore quarterback Anthony Couch and senior tight end Charlie Mullen, who combined for four connections on four attempts for 133 yards and a score through the air.

The season-best 491 yards of total offense combined with yet another stellar defensive effort, one that included interceptions by Luke Amicon and Mullen, to create the Cru’s second straight running-clock victory.

Marquette, which scored on eight of its first nine possessions against EP (the only miss when time ran out at the half), has put up 898 offensive yards and 105 points since being shut out and held to 37 yards by Aurora Christian to open the season.

“This was another good step forward. I like what I’m seeing right now,” Jobst said. “The backs ran hard, the line blocked well, the execution was good and there were very few silly mistakes. And tonight, we got to do a few things in the passing game, too. We’re gonna need to do more with that.

“We came into this season with a lot of inexperienced kids in new positions, and they’re starting to feel more comfortable in those positions now and they’re able to play more free. They’re not worrying about things. They’re just playing. … and playing with more confidence. That’s a huge difference.

“It was good for us to see a physical team like (Elmwood Park), bigger school, bigger kids, faster kids, so it was a good challenge for us and I’m happy with the way the kids answered, but our schedule is going to keep getting tougher. We have to keep improving to keep up with that challenge.”

A 35-yard kickoff return by Jaxsen Higgins led to a 10-yard touchdown run by Payton Gutierrez on Marquette’s first series. That was followed later in the quarter by a 7-yard score by fullback Jacob Smith, who finished with a team-high 15 carries for 122 yards.

Two of Sam Mitre’s perfect 7-for-7 PAT kicks made it 14-0.

Smith scored on a 1-yard dive to start the second period, followed by two more scores from Gutierrez. A 38-yard pass from Couch to Mullen set up the first of those, a 6-yard burst, and the interception by Amicon led to the second from a single yard out for a 35-0 margin at the half.

A 7-yard scoring strike from Couch to Mullen at 9:45 of the third quarter started the running clock. Mullen’s interception at the Elmwood Park 2 kept the Tiger scoreless and his 46-yard catch from Couch helped set up a clinching score, by Higgins on a 5-yard run, later in the quarter.

Elmwood Park’s two scores came in the fourth quarter against the Marquette second team on part of Matthew Fritz’s 8-of-27 passes for 189 yards on the night. Those were a 50-yard linkup with Jose Garcia and a 20-yard connection to Jairus Ponce.

In fact, 150 of the Tigers’ 230 yards of offense came against the Cru reserves after the running clock was in effect.

“We knew coming in that Marquette was a team that relied on their ground game,” Elmwood Park coach Terrance Terry said. “That’s a big part of their identity. … but while they haven’t thrown much, they made them count. When they do throw, the passes are for touchdowns, and that’s a big difference maker. They’re obviously a tough, physical team, but those big plays (in the passing game) made a tremendous difference tonight.”