At first, the play against Marian Central late in the third quarter seemed like nothing special.
Marmion senior tailback TJ Lally, who was nursing a broken hand, asked quarterback Bobby Peters to audible out of Crackback 39 toss because the high pitch might lead to a fumble.
Lally deftly handled the toss to the left, ran into a wall of defenders, kept churning his legs and burst loose for a 60-yard touchdown in Marmion’s 24-7 win.
The 10-tackle-breaking run has become a mini- YouTube sensation, with nearly 5,000 hits.
“I didn’t want to go down until my pads hit the ground,” Lally said. “I just kept moving. I expected somebody to bring me down. It’s amazing how many people have seen it. A lot of opponents come up to me after games and make comments.”
Looking back, the run should come as no surprise for someone who patterns his running style after former Bears fullback Bronko Nagurski.
“I read a book about him, he seemed like a monster,” Lally said.
The lead runner in Marmion’s Wing-T offense, Lally tops the Cadets with 55 rushes for 677 yards and 10 touchdowns. Don’t let that video fool you. Lally isn’t a one-dimensional player. He can deliver punishing hits, evidenced by a team-leading 75 tackles.
“I love playing defense,” Lally said. “It’s fun to react to plays and give out hits rather than do a set thing.”
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Lally received an injection of confidence after earning an invite to the 2010 Army Combine in San Antonio.
“There were some awesome players from all over the country, but I did pretty well against them,” Lally said. “That showed me I can stay with some of the great players in the country.”
Lally ran the ball seven times for 193 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s 48-7 win against Chicago Christian.
Another typical Lally performance — on both sides of the ball — is crucial if the Cadets are to defeat Montini on Friday night. A Marmion victory would complete an undefeated regular season and give the Cadets the Suburban Christian Blue Conference title.
Lally, who has received some Division II offers, understands what an extended playoff run would mean to the school and himself.
“We think we’re a state championship-caliber team,” Lally said. “It would be a great to beat Montini going into the playoffs. A byproduct of the playoffs would be I would get more looks by colleges.”
Marmion
at Montini
When:
7 p.m. Friday.
Where:
19W070 16th Street, Lombard.
Last meeting:
2009, Marmion Academy won 18-7.
Records:
Marmion 8-0, 4-0 Suburban Christian Blue; Montini 6-2, 4-0.
Players to watch:
Marmion — TJ Lally, Sr., RB/LB, 6-1, 210 (55 carries, 677 yards, 10 TDs; 75 tackles, 2 sacks); Nick Scoliere, Sr., BB/DE, 6-2, 205 (31 carries, 302 yards, 2 TDs; 10 receptions, 236 yards, 2 TDs; 35 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 INT); Mitch Loehmann, Sr., BB/CB, 5-11, 160 (27 carries, 312 yards, 4 TDs; 34 tackles); Bobby Peters, Sr., QB, 6-0, 165 (47-for-93, 654 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs). Montini — Matt Westerkamp, Sr., QB, 6-2, 190 (91-for-131, 1,411 yards, 17 TDs, 3 INTs; 40 carries, 117 yards, 5 TDs); Jordan Westerkamp, Jr., WR., 6-1, 185 (52 receptions, 967 yards, 12 TDs; 1 punt return TD); Alex Walters, Sr., LB, 6-0, 205 (61 tackles, 2 INTs); Tom Desmond, Sr., DB, 5-9, 170 (39 tackles, 4 INTs).
X and O factor:
Marmion Academy likes to chew up the clock with its Wing-T offense. With 2,116 yards rushing and 698 yard passing, the Cadets will try to keep Montini’s offense off the field. Montini averages a conference-best 33.3 points per game, while Marmion’s defense yields a 8.3 points.
FYI:
Graham Glasgow (6-7, 295) and Ryan Glasgow (6-3, 245) both scored a touchdown last week in Marmion’s 48-7 victory over Chicago Christian. What’s unique is that the brothers are offensive linemen. Their parents — Steve and Michele — are team physicians for Northern Illinois University.
He said it:
“Marmion is a very physical team. We can’t let them control the clock since we play more of an open style of ball. They’re physical style of play got them to a higher level. This is a good test for us and will get us ready for the playoffs.” — Montini coach Chris Andriano.
