Mount Carmel’s Jaden Bossie was sprinting down the field on a potential game-winning touchdown return in the final minute of Friday night’s game when he felt his legs locking up.
The junior running back/defensive back certainly was not going to stop, though.
After senior J.T. Harris blocked St. Rita’s 22-yard field goal attempt, Bossie scooped up the ball and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown with 35 seconds left to create a stunning finish as the Caravan upset the host Mustangs 16-9 in a season-opening CCL/ESCC crossover.
“I was catching cramps down the sidelines, but I had to go,” Bossie said. “I couldn’t get caught there. I was looking back to make sure nobody was close. I was changing my style of running and everything.
“It was fun celebrating with my teammates in the end zone. That was way better than the pain.”
St. Rita (0-1) had rallied from a 9-2 deficit and seemed in position to win the game with the field goal, but Bossie said the Caravan (1-0) simply did what they practice every day.
“The play was designed for Harris to block the kick, and I was the scoop-and-score guy,” Bossie said. “I saw the ball, my eyes lit up, I scooped it and ran.
“In the heat of the moment, you just can’t hesitate. You have to see it and go. They were driving down late, and everyone thought St. Rita might have it in the bag. We just executed.”
Bossie made his varsity debut in the spring as a part-time starter in the defensive backfield. Now he’s doing it all. He caught three passes, started on defense and had the biggest play on special teams.
“With a lot of seniors leaving after last year, I knew I needed to step up,” Bossie said. “If my team needs me to do it, I want to do it.”
Harris also fought through some pain to come through with the block.
“I knew I had to make a play,” he said. “My hamstring is kind of hurt, but I had to sell out. I didn’t know if I was going to get injured or not, but I had to go all in.”
St. Rita star running back/receiver Kaleb Brown, an Ohio State recruit, was injured on the second offensive series when he took a big hit while going up for a pass. He did not return.
“It’s always a letdown when a four-year kid gets hurt,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said. “Everybody knows how good he is. I think it kind of sucks the life out of you. I thought we regrouped a little bit after halftime and came back and were doing better. We just didn’t make the plays we needed to down the stretch.”
Blainey Dowling, who split time with Damarion Arrington at quarterback for Mount Carmel, ran for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Caravan a 6-0 lead with 10:32 left in the first half.
Mount Carmel led 9-2 until St. Rita’s Tommy Ulatowski hit BJ Hall for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 6:44 to go in the game.
Ulatowski finished 9 of 25 passing for 111 yards, while teammate Kyle Clayton ran for 108 yards on 23 carries.
Arrington ran for 66 yards on 13 carries for the Caravan. Senior defensive lineman Elliott Lewis had a sack and was disruptive up front all night.
“We have 18 new starters,” Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch said. “We have some guys going both ways. Coming here and playing St. Rita was a big challenge for us. Our guys stayed composed and got it done.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
