Question for St. Rita fans circa 1996

[IHSAStaff]

I attended St. Rita-Loyola last week as a part of Rita PA announcer Jim O'Boye being honored with an IHSA award.

As a JCA grad, I was recalling the JCA-Rita quarterfinal game in 1996 with some of the St. Rita folks.

I am 99% sure that game wasn't played on the Rita campus.

I think I convinced others that was the case as well, however, no one could recall exactly where it was played (Eckersall?) and why it wasn’t played at Rita.

Has my memory failed me, and if not, can anyone confirm the location of that game and why it was moved?

 

[septon34]

I was there. It was played at SR (Doyle Stadium). JCA had an excellent running back who dominated the game.

That SR team was a throw-back. They were very tough and didn't back down (they tore down MC's scapula earlier that year). However, they were largely undersized on defense, and lacked great athletic talent. SR played their tails off, but JCA was simply a better and more talented team

 

[Wittymoniker1]

I was there. It was played at SR (Doyle Stadium). JCA had an excellent running back who dominated the game.

That SR team was a throw-back. They were very tough and didn't back down (they tore down MC's scapula earlier that year). However, they were largely undersized on defense, and lacked great athletic talent. SR played their tails off, but JCA was simply a better and more talented team

I believe the score was 27 - 17.

 

[IHSAStaff]

Thanks Septon, James Randle was the back for JCA that season and in the midst of one of the best seasons in school history. I really didn't think it was there. I can still picture it in my mind, but must be confusing it with another stadium I visited along the way.

 

[UlbKA91]

An aside, but one of the best Eckersall games was 2002 with Mount Carmel v. Marist in a week 2 matchup. Capacity crowd with 50/50 split, and people had to park as far out as 86th Street near Coles elementary school.

 

[septon34]

How come MC completely stopped playing at Eckersall? Though I'm obviously partial to 63rd & Claremont, Eckersall is an awesome and intimidating venue for high school football. I loved watching MC play there.

 

[MC63]

How come MC completely stopped playing at Eckersall? Though I'm obviously partial to 63rd & Claremont, Eckersall is an awesome and intimidating venue for high school football. I loved watching MC play there.

My guess - no lights.

 

[UlbKA91]

How come MC completely stopped playing at Eckersall? Though I'm obviously partial to 63rd & Claremont, Eckersall is an awesome and intimidating venue for high school football. I loved watching MC play there.

Probably because of no lights and no dedicated parking. Even within the CPS it tends to draw only Chicago and Inter-City Conference games due to only CVCA (to me its always CVS) being in an Illini-level team in the area east of the Dan Ryan and south of 47th St.

 

[septon34]

My guess - no lights.

You're right. Can't blame MC for wanting to play their games on Friday nights, as that is when high school football should ideally be played. Would be great to see a playoff game at Eckersall though if MC was forced to play on Sat. afternoon

 

[DeanOfSelection]

the MC Marist Eckersall game was 1999 and it was week 3

 

[septon34]

Last MC game I saw at Eckersall was either 95 or 96. It was a playoff game and one of the Welsh boys were leading MC to a big win.

 

[DeanOfSelection]

96 semi v Rock Island

 

[DeanOfSelection]

that 96 team was decent. 7-2 lost to MC big (probly MC's best team) and to PC. JC had changed their offense midseason when they were 3-3 specifically for Randle. They went on a great run before meeting MC in 5A title game a 17-6 final.

 

[septon34]

thanks Dean.

 

[ignazio]

Chicago Sun-Times
November 17, 1996

They love to run at Joliet Catholic.

And the Hilltoppers did plenty of running in their 27-17 victory over St. Rita at Cronin Field in the Class 5A quarterfinals Saturday.

Joliet Catholic (9-3), which has won six straight, will host Rockton Hononegah next weekend in the semifinals. "We hit the sled every day and drive and drive and drive," Joliet Catholic center Chris Congelose said. "We tell the coaches: `Let's go! Let's go! The middle! The middle!' We love to run the ball here." Joliet Catholic ran 53 times, while throwing one pass. Tailback James Randle had 33 of those rushes, gaining 242 yards and scoring four touchdowns. "Yeah, I'm tired," Randle said. "I didn't think I would get the ball that much today. …

The byline was some guy by the name of Quagliano. Wonder whatever happened to that guy.