By Dan McGrath

If there’s such a thing as a self-inflicted loss, the Leo Lions’ 28-13 setback at Marmion Friday night was your classic example.

Leo’s IHSA playoff hopes had been dashed in the previous week’s loss to Notre Dame of Niles, but a 4-5 finish — the Lions’ highest win total since 2014 — could have led to a decent seed in the Prep Bowl playoff and would have been an encouraging start for first-year Coach Theo Hopkins. 

But it wasn’t Leo’s night, and it was obvious from the beginning. The Lions had a false-start penalty on their first offensive play from scrimmage, and lost a fumble on their second. They would also throw two interceptions and shoot themselves in both feet with penalties – 11 for 85 yards.

A touchdown pass that would have made it a one-score game was negated, as was the Lions’ longest running play of the night. So many first-and-10 opportunities devolved into first-and-15 or first-and-20 that it was impossible for Leo to sustain any offensive rhythm. 

Thus does a potential 4-5 record become 3-6, including 1-2 in the CCL/ESCC Red Division. Hopkins was undaunted. “I want to keep playing,” he said, alluding to the Prep Bowl playoffs, whose field was to be announced Saturday. “I’d go to war with these guys.”

Derrick Davis made some decent throws when time allowed, finishing 7-for-15 for 90 yards and a 19-yard TD pass to Amir Adams. He had a 46-yard strike to Trent Watson wiped away by a holding penalty – you don’t say! – and picked up 67 yards on 10 scrambles. 

Jubril Kannike’s 41 rushing yards included a 14-yard TD pop, but his longest run of the night, for 24 yards, was called back for – you guessed it – holding. Ellison Cox’s nine carries produced 47 yards.

Marmion QB Vinny Testa did just enough to keep the chains moving and his offense on the field, running for one score, passing for another and accounting for 96 total yards.

But the Lions had no answer for workhorse running back Joey Favia, who pounded out 151 yards on 17 carries. Most of it was coming in four- and five-yard chunks until late in the third period, when Favia broke loose for a 76-yard rumble on which every Leo player on the field seemed to have a shot at him, but no one could get him down.

It was that kind of night.

Not so for Marmion, which halted a four-game losing streak to finish 4-5 and 2-1 in the CCL/ESCC Red.

Leo’s freshmen, meanwhile, wrapped up a 6-3 campaign with a 36-16 victory in the preliminary game.