SOUTH BEND ― Ben Downey knows that his South Bend Saint Joseph football team played plenty well enough Friday, Oct. 24, to handily dispatch of South Bend Riley.
The veteran coach also knows that his injury-riddled, yet resilient, squad will need to play much better next week.
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The Class 4A No. 7 Huskies rode its standard display of high level performance by its top-notch defense and the big right arm of quarterback Sam Scicchitano to down the Wildcats 35-0 in a Sectional 18 opener on Father Bly Field in Leighton Stadium at St. Joe.
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Saint Joe (9-1) advances to host Northridge (3-7) next Friday night, Oct. 31, in a sectional semifinal game. The Raiders downed Northern Lakes Conference foe Wawasee 35-26 Friday night.
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The other side of the bracket saw Class 4A No. 4 Mishawaka beat NorthWood 28-14 and Plymouth top South Bend Washington 44-23. Mishawaka (9-1) will host Plymouth (4-6) in the other semifinal next Friday night. Mishawaka, the NLC champions, beat the Rockies 28-0 during their NLC regular-season matchup.
St. Joe did not play Northridge during the regular season. The Raiders, who finished 2-5 in the NLC, lost three games by one score during the regular season.
The Huskies pitched a shutout in sectional play for the second straight year over the Wildcats in a game that included nine turnovers, a plethora of penalties and plenty of extracurricular activity. The officiating crew even stopped the contest with 7:38 to play to hold a conference at midfield with players from both teams. The game concluded, but not without a couple of unsportsmanlike conduct calls on the Wildcats in the final five minutes of the chippy contest.
The St. Joe defense came up with six turnovers, including a pair of interceptions by junior James Criniti. The Huskies pitched their fourth shutout of the season and have allowed just 89 total points all season.
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Junior Scicchitano fired a pair of long first-half touchdown strikes as the hosts led 28-0 at halftime.
“I’m super proud of you guys, and this was a hell of a lot cleaner than a week ago,” Downey told his team in its postgame huddle.
The Huskies wrapped up regular season play with a 38-6 home loss to undefeated and Class 6A No. 5 Penn a week ago. The Kingsmen earned the NIC title with the win at 7-0 with St. Joe finishing second at 6-1.
“Everyone in our program needs to understand that we are playing a very good program next week and a team from one of the best conferences around,” Downey said about the Raiders, despite their deceptive record. “I anticipate Northridge being one of the best teams we’ve seen this season. Our focus and our preparation has to be razor sharp to be ready to play them.”
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The Huskies started the night auspiciously enough with a fumble on the first play from scrimmage. But just three plays later, Criniti nabbed his first pick of the night.
Saint Joseph’s Will Sollman (20) runs with the ball during an IHSAA football game between Elkhart and Saint Joseph at Elkhart High School on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Elkhart.
The hosts got a one-yard touchdown run by freshman Will Sollman in the opening period. Scicchitano, now the fulltime quarterback with junior Anthony Gubi out for the season due to an injury, then hit senior Dallas Downey with a beautiful 60-yard TD toss to make it 14-0.
Sophomore David Waite scored from a yard out to make it 21-0 before Sciccitano hit junior Conor Gallagher with a 52-yard TD strike just 31 seconds before halftime to make it 28-0.
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The St. Joe defense allowed just 24 total yards and one first down to the Wildcats in the opening half. Sciccitano was 7-of-13 passing or 177 yards and Sollman had seven carries for 101 yards, including a 61-yard scamper, in the first half.
“Our defensive unit took some things to heart that they learned last week and stepped their game up,” remarked Downey, now 74-46 in his 10th year overall in two coaching stints at St. Joe. “It’s nice to see them carry out the gameplan as presented to them.
“Sam is tall (6-2) and has an incredibly strong arm. He just needs the experience and to make sure to carry out the gameplan.”
The Wildcats, who lost to St. Joe 21-6 in an NIC game at on Oct. 3, finish at 4-6. Riley started the season 2-0 before losing six of its final eight game. The Wildcats went 2-7 in 2024, losing to St. Joe 35-0 in the sectional.
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“They played better than we did tonight, it’s as simple as that,” said Riley coach Darrick Lee of the Huskies. “We have to be crisper. We did not come to play technically sound tonight like we needed to. We want to play more disciplined football. When you are undisciplined, the penalties come. You can’t have the penalties we had tonight.”
Senior quarterback Tre’Vion Fedele was 5-of-13 passing for 59 yards with three interceptions, and senior running back Teon Wadley gained 28 yards on 11 carries. Junior Bradford Washington had an interception for the Wildcats.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Saint Joseph football beats Riley in IHSAA sectional opener
