Larry Stringham ran into surprisingly little resistance when he told his older brothers, Danny and Ryan, that he wanted to attend Joliet Catholic and play football at the state powerhouse.
While he had grown up watching his brothers play at nearby Plainfield Central, Larry wanted to take a different path with his high school career.
“I wanted to win,” Stringham said. “And they were glad I went to this school. When I told them I was coming here, they said, ‘Go win.’”
With Danny and Ryan in the crowd, Larry helped JCA do just that in thrilling fashion Friday night.
The senior running back had 238 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns for the host Hilltoppers in a 31-30 CCL/ESCC win over Marist in double overtime at Memorial Stadium.
Stringham’s 10-yard TD run on the first play of the second OT, with the extra-point conversion from sophomore kicker Vincent DiNovo, ignited a homecoming celebration for JCA (3-1, 1-0).
Nate Magrini added 60 yards, including a 10-yard TD run in the first OT. Lucas Simulick threw for 80 yards, with 56 coming in the fourth quarter as the Hilltoppers faced a 17-7 deficit.
Jacob Ritter threw for 159 yards and two TDs and ran for 136 yards and a TD for Marist (3-1, 0-1). John McAuliffe ran for 129 yards. Stephen Brown caught eight passes for 115 yards.
After wins over Morgan Park, Brother Rice and Montini, Marist climbed the ladder in three weeks from being unranked to No. 2 in the state in the Class 8A poll according to The Associated Press.
Joliet Catholic, which was ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 5A by the AP, faced tough sledding offensively until Stringham burst through the hole for a 48-yard run. Two plays later, he finished off a 2-yard TD run with 4:00 left in the first half. That opened things up for the Hilltoppers.
“We were just in our own heads,” Stringham said. “Once we were out of our heads, we were able to do everything we wanted to and everything we needed to. It started with the O-line.
“The O-line was great. It was just perfect.”
Stringham credited Jake Jakovich, Elijah Watt, Michael Lynch, Cameron Juricich and Malik Salah for paving the way up front.
Joliet Catholic coach Jake Jaworski said Stringham, who was a fullback last season, was the top candidate for that position again this year but changed his mind.
“He was a key cog in our wheel as our blocking back,” Jaworski said of Stringham. “Some losses to graduation opened a spot up for him, and early on, we had him in that fullback spot.
“But we had to get him the ball. You can see the physicality he runs with.”
A breakthrough by the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Stringham in the second quarter was exactly what the Hilltoppers needed.
“It created a spark for our offense,” Jaworski said. “As physical as he is, he was able to get skinny coming through that hole. And that got us going.”
Before DiNovo sealed the deal in the second OT, he also had a extra-point kick in the first OT and nailed a 27-yard field goal as time ran out in regulation to keep the Hilltoppers alive.
DiNovo was a soccer player but injured his left ankle last season and decided not to continue with that sport, instead concentrating on football.
“I played soccer since I was 4,” he said. “But I have a greater enjoyment with football, and I think I have a better future in football.”
So far, he doesn’t mind being thrown into the fire.
“For me, it’s like I’m out here kicking in the summer,” DiNovo said. “I’m out there hitting them all day. Same thing all the time.”
“He’s a young kid but great,” Stringham said of DiNovo. “We’re glad to have him.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
