When he was 11 years old, Tommy Ulatowski got up close and personal at one of the most exciting games in the storied rivalry between St. Rita and Mount Carmel.
Thanks to an invitation from his neighbor Danny Greaves, Ulatowski stood on St. Rita’s sideline for the battle between the two football teams on Sept. 19, 2014.
Bailey Marth kicked a 29-yard field goal with 23.1 seconds left and the host Mustangs hung on for a 23-21 victory over the Caravan. It was a game that had another sideline visitor — Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Celebrities. A classic game. A classic rivalry.
Ulatowski was hooked.
“I remember so many people were there and the atmosphere was really cool to be a part of,” he said. “It was one of the coolest sports moments I had when I was a kid. The crowd was going nuts. It was crazy.”
Little did he know back then, but Ulatowski will be even more up close and personal Friday night when the rivalry resumes after a three-year hiatus.
St. Rita, which comes in at No. 2 in the Daily Southtown preseason rankings, will play host to Mount Carmel for the 99th time in the rivalry’s history. The teams last met in 2017, a 38-21 victory for St. Rita.
Catholic League changes and a football merger with the East Suburban Catholic Conference caused the layoff for the rivalry, which started in 1924.
St. Rita coach Todd Kuska and Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch, however, both agreed to bring back the showdown.
That decision was huge for Ulatowski, who started at quarterback for St. Rita on the varsity as a sophomore and a junior. The Lemont resident was disappointed when he found out Mount Carmel was not on the schedule.
“You grow up and watch them all play each other, and when it’s taken away from you when it’s your turn, it kind of sucks,” he said. “But to have it back for my senior year, it’s really going to be fun.
“Having the opportunity to be in this game as a player is going to be special.”
According to Mount Carmel records, the Caravan owns a 62-33-3 advantage in the series.
Earlier this year, Ulatowski committed to Creighton for baseball. But he said if he receives some interest from colleges for football, he might go that route.
Kuska believes Ulatowski is a Division I prospect. St. Rita quarterbacks coach Rob Gallik thinks Ulatowski eventually will have to face a tough decision.
“He’s one of those kids who is going to be successful in whatever option he chooses,” said Gallik, who played quarterback for St. Rita and Illinois Wesleyan and also professionally in Europe. “He’s about as polished of a quarterback as you could have coming out of high school. He will be a three-year starter. He ended his sophomore season in DeKalb starting in a state championship game.
“After seeing him this summer, I joke that we’re in Football 3.0 now. We’re getting him ready to try to win a state championship. I would like to have him with a mindset there is bigger football ahead of him. We’re starting that process to get him to that next level.”
St. Rita has a strong schedule to open the season. After 13-time state champion Mount Carmel in the opener, the Mustangs match up against Loyola, which has been to the Class 8A state championship game in six of the last nine full seasons.
In between, St. Rita travels to Louisville in the second week of the season to face 27-time Kentucky state champion Trinity.
Kuska, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, said it has been difficult to find area teams to schedule.
“A lot of teams struggle with that,” Kuska said. “But if you look at our nonconference schedules, we have never shied away from any big games. It makes you stronger for the playoffs.”
? ? ?
Team: St. Rita.
Spring record: 5-1.
Offensive leaders: Kaleb Brown, senior, RB; Tommy Ulatowski, senior, QB; Valen Erickson, senior, OL; Rocco Valenti, senior, OL.
Defensive leaders: Djabril McNabb, senior LB; BJ Hall, senior DB; Liam Bartos, senior DB; Giuseppe Ursetta, senior, DL.
Playoff history: Thirty-one appearances. Class 5A state championship in 1978, 7A state championship in 2006, 5A state runner-up finish in 2019.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
