Zander Gorman is a captain on two teams at Mount Carmel — football and lacrosse.
Gorman, a senior defensive back/tight end for the football team, said lacrosse was a natural sport for him to pick up. After all, it provides another avenue where he can let out his aggression.
“The whole reason I started playing lacrosse when I was younger is because I just like hitting guys,” Gorman said. “It’s another contact sport, so I was able to pick it up pretty easily.
“It helps with football. The footwork translates really well because I play defense in lacrosse, too.”
Gorman showed off both the hard hitting and the footwork Friday night. He came up with a big interception and led the visiting Caravan to a 28-0 win over St. Rita in a CCL/ESCC crossover game in Chicago.
Vanderbilt recruit Jack Elliott completed 18 of 24 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown and ran for 60 yards and two more TDs on 15 carries for Mount Carmel (1-1). Sophomore receiver Quentin Burrell was his favorite target again, pulling in six catches for 160 yards, including a 45-yard TD on the opening drive of the game.
Justin Buckner had two sacks for St. Rita (1-1), while Steven Armbruster completed 11 of 26 passes for 106 yards.
The Mustangs were held to 145 yards by a Mount Carmel defense that had something to prove following a 42-38 season-opening loss to the Hun School of Princeton in New Jersey.
“We had a chip on our shoulder about the size of the globe,” Gorman said. “We were really upset about that. But at Mount Carmel, it’s the same game every week. We’re going to come out and we’re going to play the same way every week. It’s always the next-week mentality.”
Mount Carmel scored on its first two possessions, then did not score again until the fourth quarter. The Caravan defense, though, had the offense’s back.
Senior linebacker Matthew Mucha set the tone with a sack and several big hits.
“After that first game, we took a long, hard look in the mirror,” Mucha said. “We had to reevaluate where we were at and come back to practice and work on what we messed up on.
“We came out here and I think we did a good job of showing we improved from those mistakes.”
Jackson Barrins and Gorman came through with interceptions on back-to-back drives by St. Rita in the third quarter, thwarting any comeback hopes for the Mustangs.
Barrins said Gorman is always flying around looking to make big plays.
“He’s a psycho, but he knows what he’s doing,” Barrins said of Gorman. “He does a good job and he goes for the ball every play. He’s crazy.”
Barrins said the Caravan secondary worked hard to make sure they were on the same page Friday after some mix-ups in Week 1.
“A whole lot of communication in the secondary,” he said. “Nothing but talking and it worked. Cornerbacks relaying stuff to the safeties, safeties telling stuff to the cornerbacks. It showed.”
Gorman, meanwhile, also is a first-time varsity starter on offense this season at tight end. He had one catch for 13 yards Friday.
“Last year in the playoffs, they put me at tight end and this year they have me starting there,” Gorman said. “Going both ways is an honor at Mount Carmel. It’s really cool, and I try to take the most pride in it that I can.
“At the same time, I just want to do anything I can that’s best for the team.”
Gorman is hoping to get the most out of his last year as a two-sport athlete at Mount Carmel. Going forward, he’s not sure which sport is in his future.
“I think I’m about just as good in both sports, and I can’t decide which one I like better, either,” Gorman said. “Whatever opportunity I get, I’m probably going to take it.”
