Tommy Rittenhouse, St. Francis blow out Bishop McNamara to cap off perfect season

WHEATON – Tommy Rittenhouse never dreamt that the sixth game of his senior season would be his last as a Spartan.

With the shortened season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rittenhouse and his St. Francis teammates had to throw away dreams of a long postseason run and possibly a Class 4A state championship and focus on six games.

Rittenhouse made sure to leave his final mark in his final game April 23.

The senior quarterback threw for five touchdowns as St. Francis routed Bishop McNamara 37-7 to win the Metro Suburban Conference and complete a perfect season.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” Rittenhouse said. “We didn’t know if these [six] games would even be possible, but we’re here now. Six games. Six wins. That’s really all I could have ever asked for. It was perfect.”

The Illinois State commit couldn’t have dreamt a better start to the April 23 game. On the first snap, Rittenhouse found Tyler Bishop on a corner route for an 83-yard touchdown – the first of two scores for the junior wide receiver.

Rittenhouse finished the night completing 20-of-36 passes for 411 yards and five touchdowns for St. Francis (6-0). He also ran for 34 yards.

Rittenhouse’s presence will be missed next season.

“For what he’s done for this program, he’s been an absolute game changer,” St. Francis coach Bob McMillen said. “He put this program on the map. He’s put us in the elite status for what he’s done for this program over the last three years. I don’t think I can thank him enough.”

Another coach who’s had a close-up look at Rittenhouse over the past few years is assistant coach Doug Difusco. The longtime coach’s job became a lot easier calling plays with Rittenhouse under center.

“You honestly get used to it,” Difusco said of Rittenhouse’s big numbers. “It becomes the expectation that he’s going to do it each and every night and it shouldn’t be that way. He does things that you just don’t anticipate. … He’s so good at what he does, and the way he improvises when things break down is something you can’t call a play for or can’t teach.”

Rittenhouse had touchdown passes of 64, 14, 59 and 32 yards, the last of which was his final career touchdown pass to Bishop, a teammate of Rittenhouse since grade school.

“Tommy is the reason I came to St. Francis,” said Bishop, who tallied 142 receiving yards April 23. “We’ve played football together since third grade. He’s meant the world to this program and the world to me individually.”

Rittenhouse and the Spartans would have had a shutout to cap their perfect season, but Bishop McNamara (3-2) got a late score from Manny Harris (24 carries, 101 rushing yards) with 6:52 remaining.

Seniors Jackson Gerard and Elijah Lee and junior Dashiell Dorsey were the other recipients of Rittenhouse’s touchdown passes.

Asked to describe what the St. Francis football program has meant to him, one word came to Rittenhouse’s mind. It wasn’t long touchdowns or big statistical nights. Just one simple word.

“Family,” Rittenhouse said. “That’s it. This program is a family from coaches, teammates and staff all the way down. We all have love for each other, and that’s why we’ve been successful. I’ll never forget my time here.”