Week 2 Preview: Marmion Academy vs Naperville Central
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This Sunday I will be taking a look at Marmion Academy vs Naperville Central. Let’s take a preview of the matchup and what each team is bringing to the table. Offense Marmion Academy has Padraig Fitzgerald at the helm of…
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Continue ReadingThis Sunday I will be taking a look at Marmion Academy vs Naperville Central. Let’s take a preview of the matchup and what each team is bringing to the table.
Offense
Marmion Academy has Padraig Fitzgerald at the helm of the offensive unit along with receiver Dane Pardridge Dane Pardridge 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Marmion | 2022 State IL . They have multiple formations they can utilize (shotgun, double wing, etc.) where they will look to take deep shots down the field off of play-action. That being said, for the shot downfield to work they will need to establish the run game early by running between the tackles and jet sweeps.
Naperville Central has Owen Prucha at the helm of the offensive unit along with receiver Reggie Fleurima Reggie Fleurima 6'2" | 200 lbs | WR Naperville Central | 2022 State IL and at running back they have Antonio Torres Antonio Torres 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Naperville Central | 2022 State IL . They have multiple formations to pass out of (Shotgun, Power I, etc.) to get the ball into the hands of Fleurima. On offense look for them to run inside zone and quick hitters to set up the deep shot.
Defense
Marmion Academy has linebackers Jacob Bottarini and Maxwell Lambert with corner Jack Scales to hold down the secondary. What is going to be interesting to see is how they defend against Fleurima and if they end up bracketing him the whole game to limit his impact on the game.
Naperville Central has linebackers Shane Roth, Aidan Ellison, and Luke Peterson to hold down the backer core. That’s not incorporating in the dominant play of defensive end Patrick Grange who shoots gaps in run support and gets pressure on the QB. What is going to be interesting to see is how they defend against Dane Pardridge Dane Pardridge 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Marmion | 2022 State IL , if they bracket him or play the run and bump technique on him.
Key Points to Win
Marmion Academy
On offense, they need to establish the run game early on so it can set up the play-action deep shots and open up the passing attack. Look for them to start with their base offense on their first drive and open it up as the game continues. On defense, they will need to key in on Reggie Fleurima Reggie Fleurima 6'2" | 200 lbs | WR Naperville Central | 2022 State IL and bracket him all game to limit his explosiveness. If they are able to limit Fleurima to under 100 total yards and keep Antonio Torres Antonio Torres 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Naperville Central | 2022 State IL in check as well then they will have a good chance to win.
Naperville Central
On offense, they need to get Reggie Fleurima Reggie Fleurima 6'2" | 200 lbs | WR Naperville Central | 2022 State IL going early with screens, quick slants, and so forth. Once they get Fleurima some touches they should switch to the run game with Antonio Torres Antonio Torres 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Naperville Central | 2022 State IL to stretch the field and keep the defense on their toes. On defense, they will need to hone in on Dane Pardridge Dane Pardridge 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Marmion | 2022 State IL and limit him to under 100 total yards. If they are able to do so it will limit what Marmion Academy wants to do on offense and give them a good chance to win.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, what it is going to come down to is each team limiting the other’s star receiver to under 100 total yards and who is able to get their run game going early. Whichever team is able to do that sets themselves up for success to win the game. That being said the dominance of Naperville Central might be too much for Marmion Academy to keep up with which is why I have them winning 42 – 28 over Marmion Academy.
That’s my preview for the Marmion Academy vs Naperville Central game on Sunday, March 28th. I look forward to watching the game and seeing these young men compete. Keep an eye out for the post-game report to drop Monday with the score of the game and the top performers from each team.
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