Marist defense makes it happen
RedHawks shut down high-powered Vikings in Class 8A quarterfinal
Marist defensive lineman Shamar Taylor appreciates the explosiveness of the team’s offense.
However, Taylor believes the RedHawks defense is equally proficient.
He wouldn’t get much of an argument from HomewoodFlossmoor.
Taylor, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior, led a super-charged performance by the defense on Saturday as Marist beat host H-F 21-7 in a Class 8A quarterfinal.
The RedHawks (10-1) will play the winner between Brother Rice (11-0) and Warren (10-1) in next weekend’s semifinals. Brother Rice handed Marist its only defeat, 20-16 back in Week 1.
“Everyone talks about our offense,” Taylor said. “But our defense is very strong. Anyone who didn’t believe that saw what we’re capable of (Saturday). We’re a complete team.”
The RedHawks held H-F running back Leon Tanna to 34 yards on 16 carries. Tanna, a senior, had 1,521 yards and 17 touchdowns on 225 carries entering the game.
Triston Schultz, Jalen Hill, Caleb Burrell, Jake Duerr and Taylor had a lot to do with containing Tanna.
“We prepared like they were going to try and establish the run,” Taylor said. “But they came out passing. We had to make some adjustments.”
Speaking of passing, Marist quarterback Mike Markett completed 14 of 21 passes for 182 yards and two TDs. Both of his TD tosses were to receiver Jadon Thompson, covering 3 and 35 yards.
The latter score came on a fourth-and-6 with Markett setting up as if to punt. Instead, he hit Thompson on the left sideline to make it 21-0 with 2:17 left in the game.
“It was supposed to be a punt,” Thompson said. “But they didn’t have a (defensive back) on me. So we switched it up.”
Billy Skalitzky’s 7-yard TD run with 6:53 remaining in the second quarter staked the RedHawks to a 7-0 lead.
Skalitzky finished with 49 yards on 15 carries. Markett added 56 yards on 16 carries, including a 41-yard burst that set up Thompson’s first TDcatch.
H-F (10-2) couldn’t have asked
for a better start to the game, recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff.
The Vikings drove to the Marist 34, butwere turned away.
On its next possession, H-F drove to the Marist 18. But a dropped pass in the end zone on fourth-and-12 seemed to deflate the Vikings and energize the Red Hawks.
“Thatwas a big play,” H-Fcoach Craig Buzea said. “You get an opportunity like that to score and take the lead, you have to execute. It’s a whole different feeling if we score right there.”
The Vikings’ lone score came when lineman Michael Ford recovered a fumble by Tanna in the end zone with 18.2 seconds left.
H-F quarterback Dominick Jones completed 19 of 31 passes for 218 yards.
Marist cornerback Kivonte Houston, who had an interception and a sack, was prepared to make something happen.
“Coach told me the interception was coming,” Houston said. “I just had to stay back andmake the play. As a defense, we were aggressive and executed.”