St. Francis loses QB Tommy Rittenhouse, snaps IC Catholic Prep's 33-game winning streak Baffa, Radel lead Spartans' 20-19 comeback win to clinch MSC Blue

There was an uncomfortable silence that filled Wheaton College’s McCully Stadium Friday.

St. Francis starting quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse remained down after making one of several plays with his legs Friday night. He grasped his left, non-throwing arm as backup quarterback Michael Baffa entered the game.

With the Spartans already trailing late in the third quarter and chance of knocking off powerhouse IC Catholic Prep seeming unlikely, Baffa led St. Francis to a come-from-behind 20-19 victory to clinch the Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division title.

The Spartans (7-1, 5-0 MSC Blue) clinched the conference title, and in the process snapped ICCP’s 33-game winning streak. The Knights (7-1, 4-1) had won three state championships, two in Class 3A and last year in 4A, and four straight MSC titles during that run.

“This is probably the biggest win this program has ever had,” Baffa said. “That was probably one of the best teams in [Class] 4A, well, the best team in [Class] 4A, until us, now.”

Baffa entered the game with his team trailing 19-7, in large part due to ICCP running back Kyle Franklin. The junior running back finished Friday night’s game with a game-high 197 yards and two touchdowns.

When his first drive in charge ending by getting tackled inside the one-yard line on fourth down, Baffa quickly got another chance as one play later the Spartans defense forced a fumble. The backup senior single-caller didn’t miss this opportunity as he scampered into the end zone from a yard out to cut the deficit to six.

After Franklin’s score with 8:04 to play in the third quarter, before Baffa’s touchdown, the Spartans did not allow another point for the rest of the night.

“Michael Baffa has been working so hard in practice to understand what we’re trying to do here,” said St. Francis coach and ICCP graduate Bob McMillen. “We don’t know what’s going on with Tommy [moving forward], but you can’t say enough about the way Michael Baffa came in and took over, how [running back] Ben Radel ran the ball and how great our offensive line stepped up tonight.”

While Baffa and the Spartans had all the momentum on their side late in the contest, it was a 4th-and-11 play that kept the comeback victory alive. After a series of runs by Radel, who finished Friday night’s game with a team-high 111 yards on the ground, Baffa escaped the pocket, eluded a couple of would-be ICCP defenders and hit wide receiver Tyler Bishop on the sideline for a first down.

Radel ran it in from nine yards out two plays later. The senior running back’s second score of the night, plus the extra point from Jackson Gerard, gave the Spartans a one-point lead with 5:31 to play.

“What a play by Baffa,” said Bishop of the fourth down conversion. “To make a play like that, in that situation, was so huge for us. A win like this puts us on the map, for sure. If people didn’t know who we were before tonight, they definitely know now.”

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St. Francis High School

2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893