Marian, Montini duel for top spot

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Regular-season football games don’t come much bigger than this.

Fans will cram into Marian Central’s George Harding Field at 7:30 p.m. today to see the Hurricanes and Montini, the top two teams in Class 5A, battle for a victory that could decide the Suburban Catholic Conference.

Marian (6-0 overall, 4-0 SCC) has won 17 consecutive regular-season games and been ranked No. 1 all season in 5A by The Associated Press. Montini (6-0, 4-0) started the season at No. 3 and now is No. 2.

“That [No. 1 vs. No. 2] has been a topic of conversation,” Marian center and linebacker Jack Gilleland said. “We’re using it as motivation. We realize this is what high school football is all about.”

The Hurricanes beat Montini twice last season, 20-19, in the regular season, then 24-0 in the first round of the 5A playoffs. Marian eventually lost the 5A state championship game, 35-14, to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.

Marian returned several key players from last year’s team, led by two-way lineman Sean Cwynar, who has committed to Notre Dame. Montini also returned many of its top players, including three who have committed to Big Ten Conference teams for football.

“This is probably our biggest challenge so far,” Marian wide receiver-defensive back Jordan Peart said. “We’ll get a good idea of what kind of team we are and what we can do in the playoffs.”

Peart said Marian almost feels like an underdog in this game, although some of that might come from the absence of quarterback Jon Budmayr. Marian coach Ed Brucker didn’t think Budmayr would be ready for another week as the junior returns from a hamstring injury.

Junior receiver-defensive back Andy Stochl has filled in well at quarterback for Budmayr, but as Brucker put it, “I’d feel better if we had Jon.”

Montini presents a high-powered offense with two big linemen – Garrett Goebel (Ohio State) and Chuck Porcelli (Northwestern) – and a big powerful running back in Dex Jones (6-foot-1, 222 pounds), who has committed to Wisconsin.

Quarterback Tom DiCristina has completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,343 yards and 21 touchdowns. He has thrown only three interceptions. Running back Johnny Borsellino also poses problems with his speed.

“Our No. 1 focus will be to stop Borsellino,” Peart said. “They run a lot of their offense based around him, they throw a lot of bubble screens.”

Marian’s defense has surrendered only 39 points all season, with seven coming in its four SCC games.

“We’re hoping we can do better than others have done,” Brucker said. “The thing we can’t do is simulate their speed and size in practice. If we can just get through that adjustment phase [early in the game] unscathed, and get settled in, we’ll be all right.”

While the teams are SCC rivals, they also have a great deal of respect. After the playoff loss last season, Broncos coach Chris Andriano went to Marian’s huddle, offered congratulations and urged the Hurricanes to go on and win state.

“We need a good test to find out how good we are,” Andriano said. “This is another step to getting to the playoffs and being a factor. We’ll probably see Marian again. This should be a great game and a great atmosphere.”

Marian rallied last season and scored late on running back T.J. Pappas’ 25-yard catch and run for a touchdown in which he bowled over a Montini defender at the 2-yard line.

“That’s what we’re kind of expecting again,” Gilleland said, “kind of a street brawl.”