10/06/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
MOUNT CARMEL – There is a classic line in the movie “Rudy” where Notre Dame head coach Dan Devine says to his team “no one comes into our house and pushes us around.”

On Friday night at the Snake Pit in Mt. Carmel, Casey-Westfield came into town and pushed the Aces around in a big way.

The Warriors out-played the hosts for most of the game and handed out some serious bruises with a powerful rushing attack.

For three quarters, it appeared that Casey-Westfield was going to hand the Aces their first ever Little Illini Conference defeat.

However when it came down to the final minutes of the contest, senior quarterback Blayne Sisson showed the kind of leadership that Mt. Carmel head coach Michael Brewer has come to expect.

The 6-2, four-year starter, led the Aces to 17 fourth quarter points, including a game-closing drive that got his club into field goal range.

Getting the ball back after the Warriors had tied the score at 20-all, Sisson led his club on a 66-yard drive that got to the Casey-Westfield 10-yard line in the final seconds.

Senior place kicker Shade Loudermilk was called on to break the tie and his 27-yard field goal with :03 left allowed the Golden Aces to survive a scare with a 23-20 win Friday night in a battle for the top spot in the LIC.

The Aces improved to 6-1 (5-0 LIC) on the season while the Warriors tasted defeat for the first time and are also 6-1 (4-1 LIC).

Loudermilk, who had missed an extra point earlier in the game, drilled home the game-winner.

“He (Loudermilk) hit a clutch field goal for us. He had a streak of 27 or 28 extra points made. He missed the first one of the game but I love that he is kicking the ball with confidence and the kids have confidence in him,” said Coach Brewer. “We got in there in the huddle with :11 left with no timeouts trying to decide 'what's the play here'? We talked through some things and the kids said 'kick it' so we did. Shane did an excellent job tonight.”

Sisson ended up rushing for 78-yards on 16-rushes while passing for 205-yards on 14-of-22 attempts.

His top target was 6-0, 175 senior Andrew Gillihan.

Gillihan caught seven passes for 155-yards and a touchdown.

The main Casey-Westfield player who dished out most of the damage on the night for head coach Jeff Fritchnitch, as he has all season, was senior running back/linebacker Conner Sullivan.

Sullivan rushed for an 'eye-catching' 187-yards on 34-carries, which included a pair of TD runs.

As a unit the visitors racked up 234-yards on 55-attempts, which served purposes of keeping the ball away from Sisson for most of the first half and moved the chains and the clock.

Sophomore quarterback Nolan Clement rushed eight-times for just 10-yards but his one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter tied the game at 6-6.

“For a 1A school, to come in here as a smallest school in the conference to just play so good as a team, overcome some adversity, it was special,” said Coach Fritchnitch. “Our offense, defense and special teams played well tonight. We just came up a bit short. We gave them (Mt. Carmel) everything they wanted.”

The Warriors took the opening kickoff and methodically pounded the ball down the field but they came up empty as the drive ended on a fourth-and-six at the MC 26.

But the drive was indicative of the ball control offense that the Warriors have used all season.

Behind Sisson, Gillihan and sophomore running back Elliott Acree, the Aces went 74-yards on 10-plays to produce the first score of the contest.

Sisson connected with Gillihan with a completion that the speedy wide-receiver turned the catch into a 50-yard gain to the C-W six-yard line.

On third-and-goal, Sisson scored from two-yards out for the game's first TD.

Loudermilk missed the PAT but the Aces led 6-0 with 1:23 left in the first quarter.

Casey-Westfield, on its next possession, nearly struck pay-dirt as Clement found wide out Ryan Richards streaking down the field on a post-pattern that looked like a sure TD.

But a Mt. Carmel defender caught up with Richards and knocked the ball out and through the back of the endzone.

The play was ruled a touch-back and officially a 69-yard reception and fumble.

As big of a play that could have turned out to be, Casey-Westfield turned right around and made a big defensive play of its own.

Defensive back Lane Repp stepped in front of a Sisson pass and his interception return of 21-yards set up the Warriors at first-and-goal from the Mt. Carmel nine-yard line.

A pair of Sullivan runs got the ball close and Clement took it in from a yard out for the first points for C-W with 9:41 left in the first half.

Although the PAT was blocked, the Warriors were even with the Aces at 6-6.

Casey-Westfield took the lead before halftime after stopping Mt. Carmel on the next drive.

Taking over at the Aces' 38, Sullivan ran four-consecutive times.

He scored on his fourth attempt from the Mt. Carmel four-yard line.

The extra point was missed but the visitors went to halftime with a 12-6 lead.

“Hat's off to Casey-Westfield. They played really well and really hard. When you face a team that is that physical and plays that hard on every snap, it's indicative of a well-coached team,” said Coach Brewer. “They played a tough, physical football game. We didn't play our best game in the first half but maybe that is due to Casey. So give them the credit there.”