Four Downs: Mount Carmel sets records, St. Francis shocks Loyola and rankings spots are up for grabs

Mount Carmel spent the majority of its history running the football, so setting school passing records might not seem particularly impressive on the surface.

But Blainey Dowling and Justin Lynch started posting some major statistics when Jordan Lynch took over as coach from Frank Lenti and changed the offense.

Caravan quarterback Jack Elliott threw six TD passes in the 56-33 win against Nazareth in Week 3. That ties Mount Carmel’s single-game school record set by Jack McBride against Mendel in 1968.

Receiver Cooper Lehman, a transfer from Neuqua Valley, caught eight passes for 255 yards (another single-game school record). He had TD catches of 85 and 49 yards.

It’s been a fun, wild season all over the area. The current Super 25 is a house of cards waiting to fall. Some of the teams expected to be solid have disappointed. At this point, Mount Carmel’s win against Nazareth is the only victory in the area through three weeks where I’m certain a team beat a team that we have evidence is very good.

St. Francis shocks Loyola

That previous statement may be harsh on St. Francis, which knocked off Loyola 35-21 in Wilmette, spoiling the Ramblers’ first-ever home night game.

Iowa-bound quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald, who injured his hamstring in Week 2 at Glenbard West, didn’t play. The Ramblers gave sophomore quarterback Dom Maloney his first start.

However, forget whatever struggles the Loyola offense experienced. The Ramblers gave up 35 points in a home game.

Junior quarterback Brady Palmer led St. Francis with nearly 200 passing yards and two TDs and 87 rushing yards and two TDs.

Just outside the Super 25

Consider nearly all of the ranked teams to be on shaky ground. Batavia and Downers Grove North are in the top five but don’t have major wins yet. That’s odd three weeks into the season.

And it means that undefeated teams outside the rankings are just as deserving of attention. St. Laurence, Geneva, Fremd, Libertyville, and Lincoln-Way West are five unbeaten, unranked teams just as worthy of ranking as most of the Super 25.

Public League update

Morgan Park was expected to be the best team in the Public League this season and it has lived up to the hype through three weeks.

The Mustangs face Kenwood at Lane on Saturday. The Broncos, now coached by Chris Goffer, have an interesting resume. They lost to St. Francis 27-21 on the road in Week 1. So Kenwood played a closer game against the Spartans than Loyola did. That’s surprising.

Lincoln Park, on the cusp of big things in the city for nearly a decade, knocked off Phillips 20-10 in Week 3. That’s a good sign for Andres Flores, the Lions’ third coach in four years.

Lincoln Park quarterback Cam Toussaint was 11-for-16 for 134 yards with two TDs and one interception. Roidell Sanders, Hunter Gilliam and Cam Givens each had two sacks. Phillips didn’t cross the 50-yard line in the second half against Lincoln Park’s defense.

Next up for the Lions is Clark. The Eagles played Simeon tough in a 16-6 loss in Week 3.