Loyola stops Mount Carmel in overtime
By Mike Clark mclark@suntimes.com September 29, 2012 12:20AM
Loyola quarterback Peter Pujals releases the ball just before being tackled by Mount Carmel's Vincent Speller. | Patrick Gleason ~ For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: November 1, 2012 6:27AM
The battle for Catholic League Blue supremacy went down to the wire — and a little past.
Loyola quarterback Peter Pujals hit two-way standout Luke Ford with an 8-yard touchdown pass to lift the Ramblers past Mount Carmel 30-27 in overtime at Gately Stadium on Friday night.
No. 2 Mount Carmel had gone ahead 27-24 on Ivan Strmic’s 22-yard field goal to open overtime. After Julius Holley ran two yards on first down for Loyola, Pujals threw his third touchdown pass of the night.
Pujals passed for 330 yards against a Mount Carmel defense that had allowed just 855 yards in its first five games.
There were three lead changes in the fourth quarter before Robert Reedy’s 37-yard field goal for Loyola as time expired forced overtime.
Mount Carmel (5-1, 1-1) went up 17-14 on Don Butkus’ 1-yard plunge with nine minutes remaining.
Pujals then hit Devin Murphy for a 44-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt with 5:28 to play to make it 21-17.
The Caravan answered when Butkus hit Jason Gasser with a 15-yard scoring pass with 56.5 seconds remaining. Pujals then drove the Ramblers (5-1, 2-0) from their own 20 to the Caravan 20 to set up Reedy’s tying field goal.
Both of Loyola’s first-half touchdowns were set up by Mount Carmel turnovers. The Caravan forced a Loyola punt early in the second quarter, but Gasser fumbled Reedy’s kick and Axel Lifvendahl recovered for the Ramblers at the Mount Carmel 33.
Pujals hit Rich Wehmann for 15 yards on the next play and then ran 18 yards up the middle for a 7-3 Loyola lead 9:09 before halftime.
Mount Carmel went back up 10-7 on the next series when Butkus hit Gasser with a 49-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline with 6:44 left in the second quarter.
Another Mount Carmel fumble, this time by Matt Domer, led to Loyola’s next score. Austin Lyons recovered at the Caravan 32 and Pujals found Ford for a 17-yard TD pass with 1:22 to play, making it 14-10.
Ford caught three passes for 32 yards in the drive.
Mount Carmel had taken a 3-0 lead on Ivan Strmic’s 35-yard field goal with 10:15 left in the second quarter.
Pujals was 14-of-19 for 129 yards in the first half, while Butkus 2-of-7 for 49 yards. Domer ran seven times for 56 yards before halftime.
