JCA extends streak to five

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Tyler Hudetz and the Joliet Catholic offense proved to be an intimidating force in a 61-19 victory over Benet on Saturday night at Benedictine University.

Hudetz rushed for a career-high 275 yards on 24 carries. He scored four touchdowns -- on runs of 10, 67, 26 and 21 yards.

"When our offense is going, we just sprint up to the line and that's an intimidating factor," Hudetz said. "That's the last thing a defense wants to see when our offense is going. We were a hungry team, and that showed in the third quarter."

Benet (2-5, 2-3) scored on a 7-yard run by Mike Wuest to cut JCA's lead to 20-13. After Dan Foreman blocked the extra point kick, Hudetz and the Hilltoppers went to work to salt away their fifth straight victory.

JCA scored 35 straight points in a span of 6:40. Hudetz started the onslaugh with his 67-yard TD burst. Then, Calvin Smith followed with a 1-yard scoring run. Smith's TD was set up by a 64-yard interception return by Nick Ratajczak.

Hudetz scored on runs of 26 and 21 yards and the Hilltoppers (5-2, 5-0) pushed their lead to 55-13 when Andy Roth returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown with 3:07 remaining in the third quarter. Jim Bolin scored JCA's final TD on a 1-yard run at the 4:52 mark of the fourth quarter.

"Sometimes we are our own worst enemy," JCA coach Dan Sharp said. "But this group overcomes that. Any time you have Tyler Hudetz and Calvin Smith in the backfield, good things can happen. In the third quarter, the offense exploded and the defense made big plays, too."

Smith finished with 79 yards on 10 carries. He scored two TDs.

"We came out a little flat, but we made the adjustments," Hudetz said. "The credit goes to the coaches and the offensive line. The line keeps getting better every week."

In the first half, Benet struck first. The Redwins took the opening kickoff and went 79 yards in 11 plays. They scored on a fourth-and-17 play. Quarterback Jimmy Riley hooked up with Mike Vanchieri on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 8:15 left in the first quarter. Riley completed 4-for-6 for 60 yards on the drive.

But JCA answered right back. The Hilltoppers marched 65 yards in 10 plays and tied the score 7-7. Quarterback Matt Ginnetti scored on a 6-yard bootleg run.

Then, JCA took the lead on its next possession.

The Hilltoopers took over on the Benet 27 following a 17-yard Redwing punt. Following an illegal procedure penalty, Smith burst free on a 32-yard scoring run that made it 14-7 with 1:51 left in the first quarter.

JCA extended its lead to 20-7 on a 10-yard touchdown run by Hudetz with 18 seconds left in the first half. Hudetz rushed for 147 yards on 18 carries in the half.

JCA outgained Benet 244-144 in the half.