By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
As you would expect when a team scores eight touchdowns, there was no shortage of offensive stars for the Loyola Flyers in a 55-34 win over Captain Shreve Friday night at Lee Hedges Stadium.
Quarterback Bryce Restovich did typical Bryce Restovich things in throwing for 327 yards, rushing for 90 and accounting for five touchdowns with either his arms or his legs.
Charlie McKenzie, forced into playing running back for most of the game instead of his usual spot as a slot receiver, was dynamic seemingly every time he touched the ball with 186 yards as a runner and a receiver. Twice, he turned busted plays into touchdowns by outrunning the Shreve defense.
Obviously, all of that adds up to lots of big plays for the Flyers, but there were two moments that were quite significant in shifting the momentum in Loyola’s favor: One was by a punter throwing a pass to a center and the other was by an outside linebacker who wasn’t even scheduled to start.
Late in the first quarter, where the game looked as if it was going to become a game of matching touchdown for touchdown, Loyola was faced with a fourth-and-14 at its own 40. The Flyers came out in a strange formation with seven players off to the side of the field and away from the ball. It’s a formation that is not completely unusual and the Gators matched it man for man. But when the ball was snapped by Dominic Rinaudo (who was on the end of the line of scrimmage), punter Ty Walsworth raised up and threw a pass to a wide open receiver … Dominic Rinaudo, who had escaped uncovered downfield for a 30-yard gain.
Two plays later, Restovich threw a swing pass to J.T. Taylor for a 9-yard touchdown and the Flyers were able to keep the scoring machine cranked up.
After the Flyers made it 28-15 on the opening series of the second half, Shreve was back on the move when junior John Foret, who was a game-time decision as a starter at linebacker, jumped a quick pass in the flat and picked it off and added a 21-yard return to the equation.
The Flyers scored again two plays later and Loyola had a three-touchdown lead that eventually became the difference in the game.
It was a sweet win for Loyola coach John Sella, a graduate of Captain Shreve and a former assistant coach. Now in his third year as head coach with the Flyers, it’s his 18th win – and perhaps his sweetest.
“It might have been,” he said. “It’s pretty special.”
What made it even more special was how the Flyers hung in, overcoming a series of injuries throughout the game. There were the typical leg cramps that you see early in the season, but Taylor, the starting running back and cornerback, went out in the first half with an ankle injury and receiver Brock Geter went out with a shoulder injury.
For a time, Loyola’s receiving corps included a backup quarterback (Carson Ward) and an All-State soccer player (Graham Kyle).
The offensive game plan shifted to getting the ball in McKenzie’s hands, either as a running back or a receiver. He caught six passes for 149 yards and ran five times for 37 yards.
“I never really felt comfortable, knowing how they (the Gators) can score,” Sella said. “But our offensive line was incredible, Bryce was amazing and Charlie was incredible.”
Shreve had its offensive stars as well as Maddox Parrott completed 22 of 34 passes for 300 yards in his first start and Gabe Lockett had 16 carries for 102 yards.
It’s Loyola’s fourth win all time against a Class 5A school. Next week, the Flyers will face another when they meet Parkway in the home opener at Messmer Stadium.
Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com