For Mount Carmel to makes its claim for the IHSA 8A state football title this season, the Caravan needed to beat three-time defending champion Loyola.

For over three quarters, the Ramblers appeared unwilling to concede their throne as the two Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference powers battled at Barda-Dowling Stadium on Saturday night.

Leading by three points, Loyola silenced the home crowd after defensive back Tommy Fowler intercepted Mount Carmel quarterback Emmett Dowling and returned the ball inside the Caravan red zone early in the fourth quarter. The Ramblers, who fell to Mount Carmel at home last week, appeared ready to take revenge and seize control of Saturday’s first-round playoff matchup.

But the Caravan defense forced a turnover on downs at their own 6-yard line and Mount Carmel’s offense capitalized soon after with its biggest play of the night, scoring on a 92-yard deep ball from Dowling to sophomore wide receiver Marshaun Thornton. Thornton, who had 187 receiving yards, beat two defenders down the middle for his second touchdown of the night.

It was the final scoring play of the night, as linebacker Roman Igwebuike and the Caravan defense emerged with big stops in the closing minutes to help Mount Carmel secure a 21-17 win and end Loyola’s season. Igwebuike recorded 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and sacked Rambler quarterback Dom Maloney late in the fourth quarter to lead the Mount Carmel defense.

“We bit down on our mouthpiece and we kept going,” Igwebuike said. “It was win or go home. They played hard, but our brotherhood is something that other teams don’t have. We couldn’t let this be our last week together. We didn’t play physical enough in the first half and that’s where they beat us. In the second half, we came out and set the tone for the rest of the game.”

Playing as the No. 32 seed in the 8A bracket, Loyola (4-5) controlled the first half with a consistent run game and tough defense. The Ramblers made Mount Carmel (10-0) punt on each of its first two drives, with defensive lineman Kai Calcutt sacking Dowling midway through the opening quarter.

“We came into this game with a warrior’s mentality,” Loyola coach Beau Desherow said. “If we were going to go out, we were going to go out on our shield. Our kids fought until the very last play and I couldn’t be more proud of the effort they put forth. The last two weeks, we played Loyola football.”

Loyola struck first, taking a 7-0 lead after running back Melo Maldonado rumbled for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:55 left in the first quarter. The sophomore finished with 74 rushing yards on 24 carries for the Ramblers, who forced another Caravan punt after a sack by linebacker Will Mettee. Mount Carmel punted four times and totaled 135 yards in the first half.

“We had the answers to the test from the previous week, so we knew we’d be able to run the ball,” Desherow said. “We were going to try and make them play left-handed. We wanted to take away the deep stuff and force them to run the ball and throw underneath. There were a couple of really big plays that got away from us, but we made adjustments and we were there.”

The Ramblers surged ahead late in the second quarter, when Maloney fired a 6-yard touchdown strike to sophomore wide receiver Jordan McKinley, who hauled in a team-high seven catches for 57 yards on Saturday. Facing a 14-0 deficit, Mount Carmel connected on its first big play of the night, igniting the crowd after Dowling launched an 80-yard touchdown pass to Thornton.

“They came out and played hard,” Thornton said. “They punched us in the mouth, but we had to fight through adversity. I make those types of plays in practice, so I knew it would be easy to come out and be ready to play during the game. They scored two touchdowns, but we knew it wasn’t over.”

Leading 14-7 at halftime, Loyola took the ball to start the third quarter, but an incomplete pass on fourth down gave Mount Carmel a chance to even the score. A 30-yard wheel route to running back Nathan Samuels, who had 110 total yards, helped the Caravan move the ball into the Loyola red zone. On a quarterback keeper, Dowling knifed through the middle for a 4-yard score.

“It was relentless effort,” Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch said. “We never flinched. We knew they were the defending 8A champions three years in a row and we liked getting them in the first round. It’s hard to beat Loyola, it’s hard to beat them twice and it’s hard to beat them in back-to-back weeks.”

Loyola kicker and Western Michigan recruit Zak Zeman, who barely missed a 53-yard attempt before halftime, converted a 46-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to swing momentum back to the Ramblers. After Fowler’s interception and Mount Carmel’s defensive stand, Dowling’s 92-yard deep ball to Thornton drew an eruption from the Caravan fans in the stands.

“He’s a Dowling,” Lynch said. “That family is tough... That kid is tough and he deserves the world. He didn’t flinch and he made a big throw. The reason we’re 10-0 and where we are today is because of Emmett Dowling.”

Dowling finished with 248 passing yards for the Caravan, who are seeking a fourth straight state title after winning the last three in 7A. Maloney had 149 passing yards and 72 rushing yards on 11 carries for the Ramblers, whose four wins are the fewest in a season since 2002. Mount Carmel will move on to face No. 17 seed Belleville East in the second round next week.