Here are highlights and notes from Week 6 results around the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Nazareth takes control of Green Division after win over St. Rita

Since his arrival during the summer, Nazareth quarterback Jackson Failla has grown more comfortable running the Roadrunner offense. After rotating at quarterback with Frankie Nichols over the first third of the season, Failla is taking control of the offense as Nazareth surges ahead in the Green Division.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior has posted stellar numbers over the last two weeks, throwing for 636 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception. Failla’s arm has given a tremendous boost to the Roadrunners, who’ve scored 48 points in each of their last two games. both wins. Nazareth (5-1, 2-0 CCL/ESCC Green) is now one victory away from an automatic playoff berth.

“Jackson’s had tremendous growth and confidence,” Nazareth head coach Tim Racki said. “He just got here in June and he came from a completely different offense. It’s tough enough for freshmen with how we have to get them up and running and for him to come in cold and learn a completely new offense and terminology... It’s worked out well for him and more importantly, the team.”

The Roadrunners, who forced two turnovers during their 48-24 win against St. Rita on Friday, are also a victory away from clinching the Green Division title. Nazareth, which has won the 5A state championship over each of the last three seasons, will conclude the regular season against St. Francis. Last season, the Spartans stunned the Roadrunners 39-36 in Wheaton.

“It’s tremendously important for us not to take a step back in the last third of the season.” Racki said. “Once you take your eyes off the road, that’s when bad things happen and seasons collapse when teams lose that edge. We’re doing well and the challenge is that we can be better. The team has to show that sense of maturity in order to keep growing and driving to be better.”

A beneficiary of Failla’s success under center has been wide receiver Jake Cestone, who reeled in six catches for a team-high 220 yards and four touchdowns in Nazareth’s victory over the Mustangs on Friday. On the ground, both Charles Calhoun and Justin Watson have stepped up in recent weeks. The two running backs combined for 135 yards in the win against St. Rita.

“We knew the middle third of the season would be a grind in terms of our competition,” Racki said. “We’ve continued to improve and I couldn’t have asked for more from the boys. They’re responding to all of our coaching and messaging. There’s a collective confidence that’s growing each week.”

St. Patrick beats Benet, moves closer to Purple Division title

A focus on running the football has enabled St. Patrick and first-year head coach Tom Zbikowski to establish an identity on offense. By controlling the game on the ground, St. Patrick rolled over Benet 46-24 and the Shamrocks have won three of their last four games, all against Catholic League schools.

“There are so many good quarterbacks nowadays and so many points can be scored, but you can’t control a game if you can’t run the ball,” Zbikowski said. “You pass the ball to score points and you run the ball to win games. We’re about winning games and that’s how our program is going to be.”

Behind a stout offensive line, running backs Anthony Catron and Jayden Miranda have fueled the Shamrock offense. With quarterback Gavin Gardiner under center, St. Patrick has eclipsed 40 points three times this season. After finishing 0-3 in the Purple Division last year, the Shamrocks (4-2, 2-0 CCL/ESCC Purple) are in control of the division with one game remaining.

“We have a big, physical offensive line and that’s really the identity of the northwest side, Belmont Cragin and what we are as a school,” Zbikowski said. “I want to represent that on the football field and I think the boys have really bought into that. They’ve been playing a tough, physical brand of football and we feel that’s our style... It’s a really resilient group.”

Zbikowski cited St. Patrick’s 31-28 win over defending 4A champion DePaul Prep as a turning point for the offense. Adaptability has been a key for the Shamrock defense, which has leaned on a defensive line that includes Kevin Michaelsen, Eli Valencia, David Folorunsho and Matt Downes. The Shamrocks can clinch the Purple Division title with a Week 9 victory against St. Viator.

“Defensively, everything is brand new,” Zbikowski said. “The adaptability of safeties to play corner, corners to play safety and for us to go from an odd-man front to an even-man front... Everyone is taking everything in stride and they’ve learned a lot. We have a young defense and a big defensive front. They’ve done a good job of being physical at the point of attack.”

St. Patrick hasn’t made the IHSA playoffs since 2021, but the Shamrocks are within range of clinching a bid to the postseason this year. St. Patrick has a pivotal game against St. Laurence, which also holds a 4-2 record, later this week. The Shamrocks will then face St. Rita before taking on St. Viator.

“Winning the division would be a start,” Zbikowski said. “Going from 0-3 last year to potentially 3-0 this year would be big for our boys and it’d be a nice feather in the cap for my first season. We have bigger goals, but we need to win our division first and we need to beat the teams that are in our division.”

Marian Catholic tops Marmion, moves to forefront of Red Division race

In the two divisional games Marian Catholic has won this season, running back Kyle Scott has dominated on the ground. After stampeding for 209 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-14 victory over Leo a few weeks ago, Scott took the ball 35 times for a game-high 259 yards and two scores as Marian Catholic defeated Marmion 34-20 to move into first place in the Red.

“The kids knew this could be an opportunity for them to be in the driver’s seat in the Red Division and they took advantage of it,” Marian Catholic head coach Nick Lopez said. “It was nice to see our leaders guide them and the outcome played out Friday... Winning the division would be huge for us and it means something to be a division champion in the Chicago Catholic League.”

Senior quarterback Owen Askren threw for 184 yards and three touchdowns during Friday’s win over the Cadets. Although the Spartans have struggled outside of the division, Marian Catholic (2-4, 2-0 CCL/ESCC Red) still has a chance at the playoffs due to their success in the division. The Spartans can lock up the Red Division crown in Week 9, when they face winless De La Salle.

“Owen has really taken the helm at quarterback and he’s been able to limit his mistakes over the last couple of weeks,” Lopez said. “He’s shown that our offense can have a good one-two punch with him and Kyle... Kyle’s come on very strong. He’s always had a great work ethic and he’s been able to focus on the finer details. That’s allowed him to explode in the last couple of weeks.”

Headlining the defense is three-star lineman and Boston College commit Gavin Neil, who leads the Spartans in tackles for loss (9), sacks (4) and quarterback hurries (14) through six weeks. Isaac Zackavec. Sylvester Wilson and Elijah Reynolds are three more playmakers on the defensive line, while linebackers Nate Rhein and Adrian Esparza have helped solidify the defense.

“Words can’t describe what Gavin has done for this program,” Lopez said. “He’s a true leader on and off the field. He’s the one who keeps these guys focused. The guys have rallied around him and they believe in him. He takes these guys and elevates them to the next level. He’s very disruptive in the run game and he’s still able to chase after these quarterbacks.”

Leo downs De La Salle, earns first three-win season in four years

The last time Leo won three or more games in a season was 2021, when the Lions finished 3-7 under former head coach Michael Holmes. Now under new head coach Theo Hopkins, Leo has a .500 record through six weeks and the Lions are in contention for their first winning season since 2013.

Sophomore Ellison Cox ran for 96 yards and one touchdown while recovering a fumble for a touchdown on defense during Leo’s 46-13 win over De La Salle in Week 6. Senior athlete Derrick Davis, whose choir skills briefly took him away from the team to perform on America’s Got Talent, rushed for three scores with a longest run of 66 yards. Leo (3-3, 1-1 CCL/ESCC Red) will face St. Rita and Niles Notre Dame before ending the regular season against Marmion.

“We were fighting to get back on track after losing three in a row,” Hopkins said. “It was a team effort on Friday. We scored on the first play of the game and all 11 guys did their job on that play... Our seniors are fighters and those guys haven’t won many games in their careers, especially on varsity. They push the classes below them and our junior class is fiery. They want to him and they bring the juice everyday. We have 26 sophomores on varsity.”

The win over De La Salle was the first over a Catholic League school this year for the Lions, who kicked off the season with victories against Dunbar and Amundsen. In the three wins, Leo’s defense has limited opponents to 7.3 points per game. Offensively, the Lions have continued to develop their running game, rallying behind junior offensive lineman Jay’Dien Watkins.

“Jay’Dien can play all five positions on our offensive line, but we have him playing left tackle out of need,” Hopkins said. “He’s one of our leaders. Derrick just came back from America’s Got Talent and he makes us a better football team. He played receiver for us and when he came back last week, he had his first full week of practice and he was able to start at quarterback.”

Senior Jaivon Dale has shown versatility in the secondary, playing safety and nickelback for the Lions this season. Dontae Felder, a 5-foot-7, 160-pound sophomore, has played every defensive snap. Junior Daquan Brumfield, who spearheads the charge in the trenches, has emerged as a leader on the line.

“Those three guys have been really good leaders for us,” Hopkins said. “Our goal hasn’t changed since I first started here. We want to become better teammates and the more we do that, the better we play on Fridays and Saturdays. We want to go 1-0 each week and be physical and disciplined.”

Providence, Joliet Catholic on collision course for Orange Division crown

Both Providence (4-2, 2-0 CCL/ESCC Orange) and Joliet Catholic (2-4, 2-0 CCL/ESCC Orange) are unbeaten in divisional play, setting the stage for a winner-take-all Week 9 matchup between the Celtics and Hilltoppers.

Behind 195 rushing yards and two touchdowns from running back Broden Mackert, Providence took down Marist 28-14 in Week 6. Brayden McKay added 95 yards and a score on the ground, while quarterback Dom Vita threw for 73 yards and a touchdown for the Celtics. Joliet Catholic remained perfect in the Orange with a 16-7 victory against Niles Notre Dame in Week 6.