After a devastating loss at home to Notre Dame, the Benet Redwings varsity football team entered their matchup against the Marian Central Catholic Hurricanes with a chip on their shoulder. That mentality showed up in the boxscore, as the Redwings came away with a surprising 27-0 shutout victory.

The Hurricanes, who were coming off of a 55-0 blowout against Columbus High School in Wisconsin, were the favorites entering the game. Benet, however, started off hot right out of the gate. Quarterback Matt Boyle led a touchdown drive early on in the game, connecting with wide receiver Ben Cooney on a 14-yard pass. The defense soon added to the lead, thanks in part to an interception returned for a touchdown by safety Connor Reid. Linebacker Mike Wymer blocked a punt later on in the first quarter, which eventually led to a field goal.

Things went from bad to worse for Marian Central when Gavin Scott and Brian Niemaszek, the team’s quarterback and running back, respectively, both went down early due to injury. While their backups put up a valiant effort, they were no match for Benet’s stout defense, which shined in the front seven, as well as the secondary. Cooney contributed on defense with an interception in the first half, while other players like Wymer, fellow linebacker Devin Petersen and defensive end Jack Benish were able to stop the Hurricanes from gaining any sort of momentum. After a 22-yard touchdown run by Boyle, Benet ended the first half with a 24-0 lead.

Boyle favored his slot weapons, passing to Cooney and fellow wide receiver Nick Keyes often throughout the game. In addition to being one of Boyle’s top targets, Cooney received a few touches on the ground, getting a handful of handoffs on jet sweeps. Running back Ben Hickey also ran the ball multiple times throughout the course of the game.

The Redwings were able to come out with a win at home after an impressive showing on both sides of the ball. Their next home game will be on September 29, when they will face Marian Catholic at Benedictine Stadium.