THE SKINNY
After rushing for three touchdowns in the first quarter to close out the regular season against St. Laurence, Western Michigan-bound senior Robert Spillane scored twice in the first quarter against Hersey as the fourth-seeded Friars (9-1) advanced in the Class 7A playoffs Friday night at Elmhurst College. Fenwick will host Glenbrook North or Wheaton North in the second round.
TURNING POINT
Hersey quarterback Jack Warner connected with running back Mario Thomas for a 14-yard TD pass early in the second quarter to pull within 14-6, but Fenwick answered with a 10-play, 72-yard drive capped by Gino Cavalieri’s 22-yard TD pass to Jimmy Donahue.
THE STAR
Spillane, Fenwick’s 6-foot-3, 225-pound running back/linebacker, propelled Fenwick with 29 carries for 256 yards. In the first half, he rushed 19 times for 193 yards and pulled in three passes for 43 yards. He scored a third TD on a 26-yard dash in the fourth quarter. He saw limited action on defense, coming off the bench to play linebacker on passing downs.
BY THE NUMBERS
Fenwick dominated on offense against 13th-seeded Hersey (6-4). The Friars led 279-121 in total yards and 13-5 on first downs in the first half. Warner completed 7-of-16 passes for 88 yards in the first half and threw an interception to Aaron Garland.
QUOTABLE
“We stuck to our game plan. We carried the rock and showed how we can dominate. Be physical. Be physical. Be physical.” — Spillane
