Marian quarterback Budmayr injured in win

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WOODSTOCK – The talk in the Marian Central huddle after the game was about adversity bringing the team closer together.

After losing star quarterback Jon Budmayr to what appeared to be a broken collarbone in their 21-6 victory against North Chicago on Friday, the Hurricanes will have to pull together.

With Marian driving early in the second quarter, Budmayr dropped back to pass and scrambled to his right to avoid the oncoming Warhawks rush. He threw the ball and was knocked to the ground. The pass landed incomplete, and Budmayr landed awkwardly on his right side.

Budmayr was visibly in pain when he got up. At first, he didn’t want to leave the game, but then winced in pain, grabbed at his collarbone, and headed to the sideline.

“I landed on it wrong, I guess,” Budmayr said as he sat on the sideline, the pain visible on his face as he watched the game.

Budmayr finished the game 1-for-4 passing for 5 yards.

Marian head coach Ed Brucker said he was unsure whether Budmayr would throw another pass in high school.

“They analyzed it as a borken collarbone, so i don’t know if he’ll be back at all or not,” Brucker said after the game. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

With Budmayr out, the ‘Canes carried on.

Wide receiver Andy Stochl, the backup quarterback came in and hit wide receiver Adam Olson for a 12-yard completion, and then running back Brandon Smith ran the ball in from the 7-yard line with at 7:07 of the second quarter. Jared Koch hit the extra point to give Marian a 7-6 lead it never relinquished.

Stochl, one of the team’s top wide receivers, said he was shocked to see Budmayr injured.

“I was actually in awe, I was like, that’s a complete fluke of him getting hurt the first game,” Stochl, who finished 5-for-8 passing with a touchdown and an interception, said. “I didn’t – I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say.”

After allowing North Chicago to score on its first possession of the game, Marian’s defense shut down the Warhawks and their elusive quarterback, Blake Collins.

But the Warhawks did themselves no favors, committing 20 penalties for 154 yards, including one that negated a 74-yard-touchdown pass from Blake to wide receiver Marquis Miller.

After a scoreless third quarter, the ‘Canes put up 14 points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

A 17-yard run by Jared Koch put Marian on the 1, Stochl snuck the ball into the end zone.

Later in the fourth, Stochl connected with wide receiver Adam Szudarski on a 33-yard touchdown pass for the final tally.

But with Budmayr out and running back Brandon Smith also leaving the game with an ankle strain, the Hurricanes will have to regroup before their matchup Friday with Fox Valley Conference powerhouse Cary-Grove.

“It wasn’t a good start injury-wise,” Brucker said. “I said at the beginning we’ve just got to stay injury free.”