Rick Armstrong’s football notes

Film study for Dan Thorpe this week began great. After that, the Marmion coach related, not so well.

“We came out fast. We came out with an attitude,” the Cadets’ veteran coach said of his team’s 25-7 win over visiting Plainfield Central. “Unfortunately, it all went away by the end of the first quarter.

Oscar Garza, one of our offensive linemen, had two pancake blocks on the first play of the game. He flattened a guy on the offensive line, got up and then flattened a DB on the same play.”

Thorpe didn’t see it when it happened, but the 6-foot, 270-pound senior’s play caught his eye on film and typified the way the team started the game.

“Defensively, we were flying around, too,” the coach continued. “We have to figure out a way to maintain that attitude and have it for four quarters.”

Player of the Week

Marmion senior running back/linebacker Mike Montalbano stepped up big for the Cadets on both sides of the ball, rushing 10 times for 163 yards and a TD against Plainfield Central and recording 10 solo tackles and two assists.

He edged Geneva junior quarterback Daniel Santacaterina, who threw for 344 yards and four TDs to lead the Vikings to a 29-27 win over Oswego.

Injury updates

Marmion’s leading rusher from a year ago, junior Jordan Glasgow, was sidelined for the game with a “high ankle sprain,” said Thorpe. “He did not play and will not play this week (at Ottawa).”

• East Aurora senior WR/DB Desmond Gant (concussion) “got his bell rung (trying to tackle West Aurora’s 230-pound QB Quintez Jones last Saturday),” said Tomcats’ Coach Kurt Becker. “We didn’t take any risk. He (went to a local hospital) and got checked out (Saturday night). He’s on a five-step evaluation process and he’s day to day.”

Gant has returned to the team and been on the field observing but “hasn’t been practicing,” said Becker. “It’s out of my hands. It’s up the training staff and doctors. We’ll prepare (for Friday’s home date with Yorkville) as if he’s not going to play and if he’s able to come back, it would be a bonus.”

• Aurora Christian two-way standout (OL/LB) Jon Czerwinski was not in uniform for Tuesday’s delayed opener at home against DuSable due to a knee injury. He said a teammate had run into the side of his leg in practice and he was sporting a knee brace outside his pants leg.

“We’re holding him out to make sure he’s 100 percent before we bring him back,” said ACS Coach Don Beebe.