Benet Academy falls to Loyola in the first of three season-ending games against tough opponents

Closing out the 2019 regular season, with Loyola, at St. Rita on October 18th and at home against the defending Class 7A State Champions from Nazareth, Saturday, was the first of three fact-finding encounters for Benet Academy.

On a sunny, crisp Saturday afternoon in Wilmette, Loyola (5-2), beat the Redwings 46-14.

The Ramblers led 22-0 after one quarter and 36-0 at the half.

Loyola's Aidan Brownlee returned the opening kickoff to the Benet 45 yard line.

Rambler leading-rusher, senior Vaughn Pemberton, ran the ball 41-yards to the Redwing four and then ran into the end zone, from there, for the first score of the game.

Pemberton (12 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD) rushed for 80 yards in the first quarter and scored again from four yards out.

Loyola junior quarterback, JT Thomas (9-for-17, 149 yards, 3TD) hooked up on the first of two scoring strikes to senior tight end Matt Mangan ( three catches, 35 yards, 2TD), from 17-yards on a fourth and goal for a 20-0 lead.

A Benet off-sides penalty, led to a Rambler two-point conversion for a 22-0 lead after one quarter.

Thomas then connected with Mangan for a 12-yard scoring strike in the second quarter.

Jones made it 36-0 Loyola on nine-yard touchdown run right before halftime.

The Ramblers would make it 39-0 on a 48-yard field goal from junior Nate Van Zeist, with 9:06 remaining in the third quarter.

Loyola head coach John Holecek took out his first-string defense at this time.

After gaining just 60 yards and one first down against the Rambler first-stringers, the Redwing offense immediately went to work.

Redwing senior quarterback, Colin Gillespie (15-for-28, 146 yards, 2 TD), connected with senior TE Jake Snell (3 catches, 26 yards, TD) for a six-yard scoring strike with 5:57 left in the third quarter.

Holecek kept the first-string Rambler offense on the field for the entire game.

The Redwing defense rallied at halftime and totally shut down the potent Rambler offense in the second half.

With 11:37 remaining in the game, Gillespie connected with senior Lucas Kosiba (3 catches, 30 yards, TD) on a three-yard touchdown pass, pulling the Redwings to within 39-14.

Thomas answered with a 69-yard scoring strike to John Farri to conclude the scoring in the game.

A trip to St. Rita (4-3), for another CCL/ESCC crossover with the Mustangs on Friday night awaits the Redwings, followed by a return home to Benedictine University, for an 11 a.m. CCL/ESCC Orange Championship Game on Saturday October 26 with Nazareth (7-1, 2-0).