Adversity is no stranger to Mount Carmel.
An Illinois record 15 state championships, including Class 7A titles each of the past two seasons, were not attained without overcoming obstacles.
The Caravan’s 2024 season-opener, however, presented a different kind of challenge as they hosted an East Coast prep school that featured players old enough to be college freshman. The Hun School, from Princeton, N.J., was an overall bigger and stronger team, and emerged with a 42-38 victory on August 29 at Barda-Dowling Stadium in Chicago.
The game-winning score came with one minute left to play on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Hun quarterback Jack Moran to Drae Tyme.
On the ensuing possession, Mount Carmel quarterback Jack Elliott was intercepted by Bryce Kania at the Raiders 37-yard-line to seal the deal.
Caravan coach Jordan Lynch was not discouraged by the defeat. The Hun School, which as a prep school has what might be referred to as “fifth-year seniors,” has gone undefeated in two of the past three seasons and is 27-1 in its past 28 games.
Four times in the first half, the Raiders held a touchdown lead over the Caravan. Mount Carmel responded each time with a touchdown to tie the game, which was knotted at 28 at halftime.
The Caravan held a 38-35 advantage with 4:04 to play in the game after Nico Mullen drilled a 33-yard field goal.
“We knew that we had 16 new starters this year and there are a lot of young kids,” Lynch said. “You can’t pick up where you left off last season. I thought our kids worked their tails off and they didn’t flinch.
“They were ready for this game.”
Elliott, a senior from Orland Park, was 15-of-28 passing for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He thew a 31-yard scoring pass in the first quarter to Quentin Burell and found the end zone on a 61-yard strike to Allen McCoy in the third quarter.
Elliott also scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. He finished with 12 carries for 46 yards.
“People said that Jack was motivated last year,” Lynch said. “And we told them to wait and see what he’s going to do this year. He doesn’t give a darn that he has [an offer from Vanderbilt]. He just wants to be out here and to finish this with his brothers.
“We have the same offense but different people this year. And they elevate their play because of Jack Elliott. He makes everyone better.”
Burell, a sophomore wide receiver, had four catches for 134 yards. Senior running back Danyil Taylor Jr. had 10 carries for 40 yards, including touchdown runs of 3 and 5 yards.
Caravan junior defensive end Braeden Jones recovered a fumble.