Roadrunners are hard to catch. Joliet Catholic learned that lesson Friday night.

This was no cartoon. Nazareth ran and passed by the Hilltoppers, 48-21, in a Catholic League/ESCC crossover encounter that ceased to be a contest in the second quarter, when savvy senior quarterback Jackson Failla threw for four of his career-high six touchdowns.

Four of the six were hauled in by wide receiver Jake Cestone, with catches of 9, 35 and 30 yards in the second quarter and a 67-yarder to set off the running clock 81 seconds into the third. It was 41-7 at the half.

The outcome dropped the Hilltoppers to 1-4. They’ll likely need to win their last four games to have a chance at making the playoffs. The Roadrunners improved to 4-1, the only setback against Mount Carmel.

“When you don’t come out ready to compete in this league, against this schedule, you’ll get embarrassed,” Hilltoppers coach Jake Jaworski said. “That’s what happened tonight.”

The Hilltoppers’ offense was throttled at every turn. They gained only 104 yards in the first half, just 16 on the ground in 13 carries. Quarterback Lucas Simulick was picked off three times, and each interception brought the Roadrunners both a short field and a subsequent touchdown. The Hilltoppers’ 102-yard second-half output, including a 46-yard touchdown run by Craig Peacock, was salve on the wound, as was the 46-yard punt return touchdown by Steve Martin with 2:59 remaining.

But by then, the damage had been done.

“We’re trying to get some things going on the ground,” Jaworski said. “We’ve got a pretty inexperienced group, some young guys. But who’s young anymore, five weeks into the season?”

Cestone, Failla’s favorite target, was playing for more than himself and his teammates. His sister is slated to undergo a third brain surgery in days, and a grandmother has Stage 4 cancer.

“It’s the lessons coach (Tim) Racki’s taught us,” Cestone said. “Enjoy football. It’s a game. It’s where you can escape what’s really going on in your life. Use football as a way out, a way to clear my head. That’s what I did tonight.”

Failla was full of praise for his wideout.

“It was really impressive,” Failla said. “He’s such a competitor, wants the ball on every play. When the ball gets in his hands, he makes something happen.”

Failla was 16 of 20 for 308 yards, riddling the Hilltoppers’ secondary. The scorch marks from getting burned may be difficult to remove from the jerseys. The Roadrunners totaled 398 yards.

“All credit to my receivers,” Failla said. Trenton Walker and Hank Sakai’s also caught touchdown passes.

Joliet Catholic hosts Notre Dame of Niles next Friday night in a Catholic/ESCC Orange game which is now a double attraction: It is both Homecoming and must win.