Marian Catholic running back Tyler Lofton had his first taste of scoring a varsity touchdown last week in the Spartans’ win at Thornwood.
The sophomore said the feeling was even better than he imagined.
Lofton’s thirst for the end zone was evident on Thursday against Leo. He used all of his 5-11, 190 pounds to crash the goal line in short yardage situations and hold off Lions’ defenders with stiff arms on his way to five touchdowns and 167 yards.
“I knew I was going to do everything I could to score again,” Lofton said. “But I never thought I’d get that many.”
Marian Catholic knocked off Leo 55-21 in an early season game marred by penalties and cramping injuries. It wasn’t always pretty, but both teams flashed promise.
Spartans quarterback Kyle Thomas ran for 72 yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown. He hasn’t been surprised by Lofton’s quick varsity success.
“It was obvious he was going to be an all-star,” Thomas said. “He’s a dog and he showed it tonight. The line was great and me and Tyler just hit those holes.”
Marian Catholic (2-0) didn’t complete a pass until the fourth quarter, and that was thrown by backup Carter Magerski.
Sophomore RB Tyler Lofton scores on a 25-yard run for Marian Catholic. Spartans lead Leo 7-0. pic.twitter.com/5Hbm3t29g3
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) September 2, 2022
“We only passed the ball seven times week one and five times today,” Spartans coach Nick Lopez said. “That’s who we are going to be. We just want to get black and blue and get the ball in our guy’s hands. [Lofton] is electric.”
Leo (1-1) beat Bulls Prep in Week 1 and has some game-breaking talent on offense. The Lions were a threat to score from anywhere on the field, ripping off 33 and 80-yard touchdown passes.
Sophomore quarterback Darion Lee is a name to remember. He has a strong, accurate arm and a solid frame.
Lee was 9-for-24 passing for 180 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, there were multiple dropped passes.
“We had to make sure we were in our gaps and our zones and play our game,” Lopez said. “They were able to take advantage of it when we weren’t doing that.”
Merrick Sample had four catches for 85 yards and a touchdown and Kevin Jackson caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown for the Lions.
What a grab by Leo’s Kevin Jackson! Catches a 22-yard TD pass from sophomore Darion Lee, who has been very impressive.
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) September 2, 2022
Lions trail Marian Catholic 35-13, almost halftime. pic.twitter.com/hdy3BDqFm0
