Junior receiver Walter Jones spent much of Friday night begging St. Rita’s coaches to call a deep pass to him.
Jones said he asked enough that it started to be annoying. But when the game was on the line, the coaches dialed up the deep shot and Jones delivered.
“In the beginning of the game, I was telling (offensive coordinator John Nee) to run that play,” Jones said. “I kept telling him. He was getting frustrated with me.
“Then at the end of the game, I just gave him a look on the sidelines. We ran that route, and it was money.”
Money, indeed. Jones hauled in a pass from Steven Armbruster and broke free for an 80-yard touchdown with 1:06 left, lifting the Mustangs to a 14-7 win over host Brother Rice in a CCL/ESCC crossover game in Chicago.
Armbruster completed 11 of 19 passes for 203 yards and two TDs, including a 58-yard scoring strike to Lucas Davis for St. Rita (2-1). Cormac Lacy and Killian Lacy each had a sack and Justin Buckner made several key tackles.
Jaylin Green ran for 85 yards on 10 carries and Tyler Lofton added 84 yards on 11 carries for the Brother Rice (1-2). Charlie Stec had two sacks and Conner Stack provided two tackles for loss.
The Crusaders tied the game 7-7 with 1:30 left when junior quarterback CJ Gray ran for a 1-yard TD on fourth-and-goal.
The Mustangs answered right back thanks to Jones, who has emerged as a big-time playmaker, according to St. Rita coach Martin Hopkins.
“He’s a very special athlete,” Hopkins said. “We had him playing corner at the end of the half, too. He’s one of those guys we can put anywhere and he’s always going to give all his effort.
“For a young guy, he operates more maturely than his age. Kudos to him. He does his job in the run game and he gets his pay days in the pass game.”
On the winner, Jones broke open over the middle of the field and…
..
