Lynch wins coaching debut
DEKALB — It seemed like the perfect setup: Jordan Lynch making his Mount Carmel coaching debut at NIU’s Huskie Stadium.
It was where he played college football, where he became a Heisman Trophy finalist.
But Lynch didn’t have time for all that sentimentality after the No. 19 Caravan beat Hope Academy 42-7 on Saturday in the KickOff Classic.
‘‘It is a football field to me,’’ Lynch said. ‘‘I try not to think too much about it. Obviously, I was geeked up for my first game.’’
Lynch took over for legendary Frank Lenti, the all-time winningest football coach in Illinois, in December. Lenti was pushed out against his will, leading to all kinds of controversy and debate.
On the field, however, it seems to have been a very smooth transition.
‘‘Honestly, you can’t tell the difference [between Lenti and Lynch],’’ Mount Carmel senior Eddie McGee said. ‘‘We know the expectations we have to live up to. It was sad to see coach Frank go, but we know we all have one goal, and that is to be great every game. Nothing has really changed.
‘‘[Lynch] told us from the beginning he knows what it takes to win. He stays on us because we get lazy sometimes.’’
McGee turned in a breakout performance. He returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and also had an interception, one of four by the Caravan (1-0).
Mount Carmel quarterback Rad Premovic was rock-solid in his debut running Lynch’s new offense. He carried 13 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns and was 11-for-17 for 80 yards with one interception.
‘‘It is a new offense, new things, and Rad adjusted well,’’ Lynch said. ‘‘The future looks bright for him.’’
Premovic said the players weren’t caught up in all the drama that had taken place in the last eight months.
‘‘A game is a game,’’ Premovic said. ‘‘The first game of the season is always the most nerve-racking one. It felt pretty good.’’
Lynch’s younger brother, sophomore quarterback Justin Lynch, played a series in the fourth quarter. He busted loose for a 20-yard run, then capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
Senior running back Kyle Davis finished with 18 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown for the Caravan.
‘‘It’s kind of what you expect the first game, a lot of mistakes,’’ Lynch said. ‘‘But the kids played hard. We ran a lot of plays, and the score didn’t show it for us. We got inside the red zone and turned it over twice.’’
Hope Academy (0-1) pulled to 14-7 in the second quarter on a 73-yard touchdown pass from junior Trevor Land to senior Eric Mullin.
‘‘We really believed we could hang with them,’’ Hope Academy coach Matt Kelly said. ‘‘I think if we had 11 different players on offense and defense, it is a different game. We were just kind of worn out, scrambling to find guys to play. And the heat didn’t help.
‘‘We are a [Class 2A] school playing a [Class 7A] school, and it showed on the field. We just don’t have the numbers to plug a fresh body in there.’’
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