Bill Skalitzky’s clutch run wins it for Marist

Marist defeated Notre Dame 28-21 Friday in Niles on a 15-yard touchdown run by senior Bill Skalitzky with three minutes left to play.

Marist coach Ron Dawczak is confident in Skalitzky and his team, for one main reason.

“Heart,” Marist coach Ron Dawczak said. “The fact that these guys are fighters and know how to dig down deep and show a lot of heart. Every game we’ve played has been a close game for us. Our guys are fighters, they never quit, they will never give up even if it doesn’t look good. They know they have ability and talent and when you combine that with heart things will result.”

Marist’s Jake Duerr (40) and Colin Bohanek (44) get fired up before the game. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Notre Dame’s Kurt Schmelzle (24) looses the ball. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Marist’s Ryan Randolph (20) gets an interception. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Notre Dame fans cheer after their team scores. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Notre Dame’s Anthony Sayles (7) stands in the pocket. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Frank Giamarusti (3) of Notre Dame steps over a Marist defender. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Notre Dame’s Frank Giamarusti (3) celebrates after scoring a touchdown. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Marist’s Jadon Thompson (1) reaches out for a pass against Notre Dame. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Ty Gavin (4) of Notre Dame’s takes a hand off. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Notre Dame’s Ty Gavin (4) gets tripped. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Notre Dame’s Anthony Sayles (7) rolls out for a pass against Marist. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Notre Dame quarterback Anthony Sayles (7) tries to break a tackle. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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Marist’s Billy Skalitzky (9) catches a pass. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

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“We’ve got a lot of weapons on offense,” Dawczak said. “So if the other team tries to take away one of them we’ve got other guys that can step up. [Skalitzky] has stepped up huge this year, every game this season. We’ve got a lot of talent.

Notre Dame (2-1, 0-1) has offensive weapons too. Running back Ty Gavin, last season’s East Suburban Catholic player of the year, rushed for 106 yards.

“He’s a great player,” Dawczak said. “We knew we weren’t going to be able to stop him but we were able to contain him and limit him to no big gains. They hurt us with a couple big plays in the passing game, but Gavin was a focus for our defense and they did a good job containing him.”

Next up for Marist (2-1, 1-0) is a home contest against Saint Viator.

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