A balanced ground game and the play of Logan Malachuk led Nazareth to a comeback victory over a familiar foe on opening night of the 2024 season.
Malachuk threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, including a redemptive game-winning score with 3:46 to play, and the Roadrunners topped Kankakee, 37-30, in a non-conference matchup in LaGrange Park on August 30.
The senior quarterback also scored on a 30-yard run, one of three Roadrunners rushing touchdowns on the night.
The game marked the third straight year Nazareth and Kankakee have hooked up on opening night. The Roadrunners beat the Kays, 2-0, at home in 2022 and lost, 33-26, on the road last season. The Roadrunners ended 2023 as Class 5A champions for the second straight season; the Kays finished 11-1 after advancing to the Class 6A quarterfinals.
Malachuk (17-of-32 passing) threw touchdown passes of 44 yards to Trenton Walker and 46 yards to Jake Cestone. The latter score came with 3:46 to play in the game and with the ensuring 2-point conversion gave Nazareth a 37-30 lead.
Nazareth led 23-16 in the third quarter before the Kays scored two quick touchdowns, the second when Keyandre White picked off a Malachuk pass and took it 45 yards for the score, giving the visitors a 30-29 lead.
The Roadrunners’ Lesroy Tittle and Edward McClain Jr. had rushing touchdowns of 5 yards and 1 yard, respectively.
“Kankakee is tough, fast and well-coached,” Racki said. “They gave us all we could handle and it was a physical game for both sides.
“This was a great game for Week 1 and we’re happy to get the win, but this was also a little bit of humble pie for us from what the kids read during the offseason. They see all the rankings but the rankings don’t mean a thing until you take the field.”