A bad exchange on an option play presented a rare scoring opportunity for IC Catholic senior defensive end Tamarion Garner during the team’s IHSA Class 3A second-round playoff game against unbeaten Bishop McNamara.

Looking to make a big play on IC Catholic first defensive series of the game, Garner found the fumbled ball and ran it 60 yards for a touchdown to give the Knights an early lead.

The scoop-and-score was one of several highlights from Garner, who generated 3½ sacks to lead the IC Catholic defense, which had five sacks and forced three turnovers in a 37-27 victory.

“I saw the ball bounce on the ground and I didn’t hear a whistle,” Garner said. “I grabbed the ball and scored the touchdown. It’s a huge confidence builder, and we’re ready to go on to the next game.

“The game plan was to stop the run and once we stopped the run, they had to pass, so we stopped the pass. We stayed outside and we had a burst off the line of scrimmage.”

The Knights (8-3) ended Bishop McNamara’s undefeated season and moved on to the quarterfinals with the win at Plunkett Park in Elmhurst on Friday. Despite three crucial turnovers, the Fightin’ Irish (10-1) moved the ball well on the ground during the first half, tying the game after running back Julius May’s nifty 19-yard touchdown carry during the first quarter.

But IC Catholic answered with chunk plays through the air, retaking the lead on a 9-yard touchdown toss from quarterback Nate Lang to sophomore wide receiver Will Schmidt, who had three catches for 36 yards and a pair of scores in the game. Lang finished with 169 passing yards and threw three touchdowns for the Knights, who led the Irish 28-14 at halftime.

“We’re a very balanced team and we have a lot of trust in our skills,” Lang said. “We have a lot of trust in our line. Our coaches dial up great plays and we just go out there and execute. Our game plan was to take advantage of whatever coverage they were in. When they went zero, we were going to throw it and when they went zone, we were going to run it on them.”

Back-to-back tackles for loss by the Knights forced a Bishop McNamara punt late in the first quarter. IC Catholic capitalized on the defensive stand, surging ahead 21-7 after running back KC Kekstadt reversed field and reached the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Kekstadt led the IC Catholic rushing attack, rumbling for 112 yards on 19 carries.

The Knights earned their largest lead of the night midway through the second quarter, when Lang connected with Schmidt down the IC Catholic sideline for a 23-yard touchdown. Facing a 28-7 deficit, Bishop McNamara moved away from the ground game and found a spark through the air, with quarterback Karter Krutsinger firing a 55-yard touchdown strike to senior Coen Demack. Demack led the Irish with 106 receiving yards.

“Karter always putting the ball on me and our offensive line always blocks,” Demack said. “I can’t get the ball if they’re not blocking for me. Our seniors haven’t made the playoffs in our whole high school careers, so to come in and win 10 games was awesome. We won as many games this year as we won over the last three years. It’s always nice to make the playoffs too.”

Another Irish fumble on an option play early in the third quarter gave the Knights good field position. After defensive back Jaden Penna recovered the loose ball, IC Catholic took a three-score lead on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Lang to 6-foot-4 sophomore wide receiver Grant Bowen. Bowen led the Knights with 97 receiving yards on five catches Friday evening.

Bishop McNamara didn’t fade away quietly, as Demack ran a reverse 25 yards to the end zone and defensive back Micah Lee intercepted Lang midway through the third quarter to give the Irish renewed energy. But sacks from Garner and Gabriel Lisowiec, along with an acrobatic leaping interception by Penna early in the fourth quarter, quelled the momentum.

Manny Deoudes booted a 21-yard field goal to help the Knights seal their win. Krutsinger totaled 179 passing yards for the Irish, who scored on a 7-yard touchdown carry by running back Malachi Lee with under a minute left in the fourth quarter. Lee rushed for a team-high 74 yards on seven carries and added a 33-yard reception to aid the Bishop McNamara offense.

“I felt like my team trusted me with the ball in my hands,” Lee said. “Even though I fumbled two times, I thought I bounced back and did better. We stayed consistent every week and we didn’t change anything. ... We can use this as motivation. Our juniors, sophomores and freshmen will be back.”