The Montini Catholic football team mounted a furious fourth-quarter rally to earn a 47-42 victory over Nazareth Academy in a wild Chicago Catholic League (CCL) Green Division game in La Grange Park on Friday, Sept. 11.
Montini trailed Nazareth 42-27 with about nine minutes remaining in the game. The Broncos pulled out the victory by scoring three touchdowns in the closing minutes. They scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown with 34 seconds to play.
Montini improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in division play following its comeback win. The Roadrunners of Nazareth Academy dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the four-team division. In addition to Montini and Nazareth, the CCL Green Division includes St. Rita and St. Francis.
Montini jumped out to an early 13-0 lead the game after taking advantage of two Nazareth turnovers. A 51-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Israel Abrams to senior Damacio Ortegon, and a 2-yard touchdown run by Abrams, lifted the Broncos to their 13-0 advantage.
The Roadrunners scored a first-quarter touchdown to trim Montini’s lead to 13-7, but a 33-yard touchdown pass from Abrams to senior Luca Florio helped the Broncos push their lead to 20-7 late in the opening quarter.
Nazareth scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter and owned a 21-20 lead at halftime. The Roadrunners produced two touchdown passes in the third quarter to raise their lead to a 35-20 lead with 12 minutes to play.
A 1-yard touchdown run by Abrams helped the Broncos reduce Nazareth’s lead to 35-27, but the Roadrunners responded with a touchdown to build a 42-27 lead with 9:14 remaining in the game.
The Broncos began their furious rally with a 6-yard touchdown run from Abrams. After Montini’s defense delivered a stop on Nazareth’s next offensive series, Abrams hooked up with senior Donovan Evans, who weaved through defenders for a 69-yard touchdown reception. Montini attempted to tie the score with a 2-point conversion try, but that try failed, leaving Nazareth with a 42-40 lead with 2:47 to play.
Senior defensive back Jack Spanos intercepted a Nazareth pass to give the Broncos possession of the football at their own 36-yard line with a little more than two minutes to play. Abrams commanded another touchdown drive that ended with his 33-yard scoring pass to Ortegon with 34 seconds left in the game. Senior Johnny Louise then added his fifth successful extra-point kick of the night to account for the game’s final point.
Montini senior linebacker Orlando Greco made an interception in the closing seconds to seal his team’s victory.
Abrams completed 25 of 35 pass attempts for 411 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for three touchdowns. Florio supplied nine receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. Ortegon made three receptions for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Evans snared four receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Montini completed a stretch of three straight road games against challenging opponents with its battle at Nazareth. Montini, which opened its season with a 48-0 home win over Hoopeston Area High School on Aug. 21, began its trio of road contests with a 35-28 loss at Sandburg in Orland Park on Aug. 28. The Broncos then defeated Marist (of the CCL’s Blue Division) 35-28 in Chicago on Sept. 4.
“I am so proud of our guys,” said Montini coach Mike Bukovsky in his comments after the Broncos’ win over Nazareth. “We have gone into the lion’s den these past two weeks, played in two very tough environments against good Chicago Catholic League teams and come away with victories. Our guys really battled tough, and I give a lot of credit to Coach [Tim] Racki and his players, as they put together a great game plan, and made some things very difficult for us tonight.”
Montini continues its season with this Friday’s (Sept. 18) home game against Mundelein’s Carmel High School (2-2) of the CCL’s Orange Division.
