Scoring points hasn’t been a problem this season for Marist.
That trend continued in Week 5 as the Redhawks traveled to Elmhurst and defeated IC Catholic 34-26 in a CCL/ESCC crossover.
Through the first five games of the season, Marist, which improved to 4-1 overall, tallied 148 points, good enough for an average of 29.6 per outing.
Having a running back the caliber of John McAuliffe certainly helps.
The Cornell commit was at his best against the Knights, carrying 32 times for 211 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-foot, 200-pound senior added a fifth TD on a 41-yard pass from quarterback Jacob Ritter.
“John runs with a lot of heart and passion,” Marist coach Mike Fitzgerald said. “He’s our captain. The guys believe in him. He wants the ball in his hands in important situations.
“He runs hard, he’s tough to bring down but he also has breakaway speed as well. And our O-line was a big part (of McAuliffe’s success).”
With Marist clinging to a 27-26 lead late in the fourth quarter, McAuliffe provided some much-needed space between the teams as his 23-yard TD run with 4:22 remaining gave the guests a 34-26 advantage.
The Redhawks, who trailed 7-0 after the opening quarter, drew level at 7-all on McAuliffe’s 1-yard run.
A 10-yard sprint by McAuliffe at 4:52 of the second quarter put Marist in front 14-7. Just 1:45 later, McAuliffe found the end zone on a 31-yard run to make it 21-7.
McAuliffe’s 41-yard scoring reception from Ritter set the halftime score at 27-14 Marist. Ritter finished the game 8-of-14 passing for 113 yards and added 71 yards rushing on 11 attempts.
Through the first five games of the season, McAuliffe has carried 104 times for 554 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Last weekend (a 31-30 loss to Joliet Catholic in double overtime) was emotional,” Fitzgerald said. “The guys could have been like, ‘Here we go again’ but they stepped up, made plays and they were able to find ways to stay together.
“We had the lead (against Joliet Catholic) and we let it slip away. This time, it came down to getting a stop against IC Prep and we made the plays and found a way to get it done.”