MOUNT CARMEL - After two weeks of disappointment for Mount Carmel, the Red Tornadoes' playoff hopes were bolstered with a 47-21 win over Warrior Run last week.
Currently fourth in the District 4 Class AA rankings, in order to remain solidly in a tight field, Mount Carmel will have to beat a Central Columbia team tonight at Central that has plenty of weapons on offense
"They're a well-balanced team offensively," Mount Carmel coach Carm DeFrancesco said. "They throw a lot of formations at you."
DeFrancesco said the Blue Jays throw the ball a lot and the Red Tornaodes have to be "concerned" with wide receiver Brandon Orzolek.
To try and stymie quarterback Steven Shannon along with the passing game, DeFrancesco plans to push Shannon into mistakes.
"Our plan is to get pressure on him," DeFrancesco said. "We don't think he makes good decisions under pressure. He puts the ball up a little bit, and sometimes it's not too accurate."
The Mount Carmel defense allowed 21 points last week, its lowest in two weeks, but DeFrancesco would still like to see an improvement.
"We were pleased with the way things went offensively, but we had undisciplined play on the line," DeFrancesco said. "We continue to tackle poorly. We're trying to work on that this week."
While DeFrancesco has noticed the Central Columbia offense and knows it can be a threat, the Red Tornadoes' offense has gotten back to its usual ways.
Blank Panko ran for 99 yards and three touchdowns, and even though quarterback Dominic Farronato didn't throw for any touchdowns, he completed eight of 18 passes for 168 yards.
But most importantly for Mount Carmel is that running back Kyle Karycki is healthy again. Against the Defenders, Karycki ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
"He ran well," DeFrancesco said. "We have our 1-2 punch back now. Our offense was balanced really well. We're really happy with the way things went. It keeps defenses on their toes."
While Mount Carmel's playoff hopes are back on the right track, Central Columbia is fighting to keep its postseason hopes, which may not be a good thing for the Red Tornadoes.
"I read where the coaches said 'they're hanging on to their playoff lives.' They have to win out," DeFrancesco said. "They have a sense of urgency and we have to match that."