Football: Marist's Complete Game Too Much for Marian

Play a complete game.

That's what the RedHawks have been waiting to do this season, and on Friday night they did just that.

Through an on-and-off drizzle at , dampening Marian's homecoming festivities.

“We talked about playing a complete game, and it's a thing where our special teams, our offense, our defense, everyone did an absolutely tremendous job (tonight),” Marist head coach Pat Dunne said.

Though fireworks were planned for after the game, Marist didn't feel like waiting. The Redhawks lit up the night the very first time they touched the ball.

Following a Marian 80-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 44-yard TD pass from Rob Cifelli to Randell Wells, Marist's Ryan Meyer took the Spartans' kickoff at his own 20-yard-line and looked for a seam. He found it and was off to the races for an 80-yard touchdown return that was only a foreshadowing of things to come.

“We went hard on special teams,” Meyer said. “Our scout (kickoff) gave great looks every single day when we were practicing (kickoff returns), and it showed here today.”

After Marian went up 15-7 on Jeruel Taylor’s 1-yard touchdown plunge, Marist reeled off two unanswered scores to take a 20-15 lead at halftime. Both scores came thanks to Meyer, who grabbed two Ian Woodworth passes in the end zone.

Taylor said that watching the RedHawks offense from the sideline was a tough pill to swallow.

“Sitting on the sideline and watching their offense throw bombs and score cut deep for us,” Taylor said. “I think that got into our heads a lot, so we couldn't rebound.”

Marist then added five more scores in the second half to blow the game open and put the Spartans down for the count.

Meyer got his fourth touchdown of the game on another Woodworth pass, while Woodworth also found sophomore Nic Weishar twice late to ice the game.

“I know I can just throw it up and they'll just go up and get it,” Woodworth said.

Marist (4-2) hosts St. Patrick on Friday night, while Marian (3-3) hits the road to take on Joliet Catholic.