Last year Saint Patrick came back from a 19-0 deficit in the second half to beat Carmel 20-19. For a few minutes in the fourth quarter last Friday night, it looked like the Shamrocks were going to top that comeback. Trailing 21-0 in the fourth quarter, the Shamrocks roared back to within a touchdown on a pair of Dan O’Donnell touchdowns, and they had the ball with a chance to tie the game, but it was not to be. The Carmel defense rose up, and the Corsairs added two late touchdowns to put the game away 35-14.

Carmel drove 80 yards for a touchdown on the game’s opening possession with Chris Wienke taking the ball in around left end from four yards out for the score to make it 7-0. The teams battled back and forth for the next ten minutes before an illegal participation penalty by Saint Patrick on fourth and eight gave Carmel a big first down at the Shamrock 39. Three plays later Jimmy Potempa made the Shamrocks pay for that mistake as he broke through the Shamrock defense on a 24-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 Corsairs, and the game went to the half that way.

On the Corsairs first possession of the second half, Potempa scored on a 57- yard run to make it 21-0. There was no other scoring in the period.

On the first play of the fourth quarter Carmel kicker Kevin Cook missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, giving the Shamrocks the ball at their own 20 and setting the stage for a furious comeback. Following an incomplete pass, Tom Barrett hit O’Donnell with a swing pass out of the backfield, and O’Donnell ran untouched down the left sideline for an 80-yard score. Matt Ledenbach threw a crucial block to help spring O’Donnell. Two plays later, Wienke fumbled, and the Shamrocks took over at the Corsair 30. On first and ten from the Carmel 18, Barrett hit Mike Kotz over the middle. Kotz struggled to score, but was ruled down inside the one. O’Donnell crashed in over the left side on the next play to make it 21-14 with 9:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Shamrock defense forced a three and out, and Saint Patrick got the ball back at their own 14 with just under seven minutes remaining, but they were unable to advance the ball. Carmel quarterback John Brennan ripped off a 62-yard touchdown run on the Corsairs’ first play from scrimmage to put Carmel ahead 28-14. When O’Donnell slipped and fell in the backfield on fourth and four, the Corsairs took over in Shamrock territory. Four plays later, Sean Lees scored around right end to put the game away at 35-14.

Led by Potempa’s 203 yards and two touchdowns, the Carmel ground attack dominated the game. The Corsairs rushed for 458 yards and five touchdowns on 57 carries as a team. The Shamrock offense moved the ball pretty well themselves, averaging 5.5 yards per play themselves. Barrett completed 17 of 33 passes for 248 yards and a score, but threw a pair of first half interceptions. Ledenbach caught eight passes for 100 yards, and O’Donnell rushed for 86 yards on 21 carries, while catching two passes for 76 yards.

Defensively, David Hibbler paced the Shamrocks with seven tackles, and Brian McGarigle and Renzo Mejia each added six stops.