Althoff ducks Helene’s rain, dominates Marquette in rescheduled Homecoming game

Jayden Ellington made it happen through the air and Dierre Hill made it happen on the ground.

Ellington threw for four touchdowns and Hill ran for three more on just four carries as the Althoff football Crusaders celebrated homecoming with a 49-0 blowout win over Alton Marquette Thursday night at Martz Field.

The game originally was scheduled for Friday, but moved up 24 hours to dodge forecast rain, remnant of Hurricane Helene.

A week after needing a last-second touchdown to beat Tolono Unity 53-52 on the road, the Crusaders jumped out to a 28-0 lead with four first-quarter touchdowns and never looked back.

“The difference (this week) was to keep executing and don’t let our foot off the gas,” Ellington said.

Althoff Catholic got out of the gate fast as Ellington connected with Charleston Coldon on a 21-yard touchdown pass just 1 minute, 53 seconds into the action.

Hill, the Crusaders senior all-purpose senior running back, made it 14-0 with a 45-yard touchdown run with 9:03 still left in the first quarter.

Ellington then lit the Explorers defense up for a pair of touchdowns passes, hitting Kylin Jordan for an 8-yarder and, after Hill scored on a 22-yard scamper, connecting with tight end Aaron Powell on an 8-yard pass.

“We were taking what the defense gives you and not trying to change up the game plan,” said Ellington, who hit 14 of 20 passes for 176 yards with three touchdowns.

Althoff head coach was pleased to see Ellington turn in a big performance.

“Jayden’s a special talent between his arm strength, his feet and his IQ,” Frazier said. “Progressively we’re gonna get to see more and more of him. Obviously, the nature of our first four games and what Dierre did, we didn’t get to showcase him maybe as much as we would like, but we wanted to make a point of that today.

“It was good to see him kind of flourish in that first part of the game.”

Coldon finished out the first-quarter Crusader blitz with an interception return for a touchdown.

Hill finished his night in the second quarter with a dazzling 40-yard touchdown jaunt, pushing the lead to 49-0 midway through the second quarter. The University of Oregon bound Hill finished the night with 126 yards rushing on just four carries.

Althoff Catholic rolled up 139 yards on the ground.

Althoff’s defense did its part as well against the Explorers. Mizzou recruit Jason Dowell had a sack while Matthews Marshall and Enrique Morales also registered sacks.

“It’s just simple stuff, simple stuff,” Dowell said. “Just come in here and being disciplined, being dominant, and flying to the football. Remember the keys, get your call, get your alignment and your assignment and fly to the football.

Althoff, Dierre Hill Class 1A AP poll this week heads into the second half of the season at 5-0. Dowell believes the team is beginning to hit its stride.

“It feels wonderful to be 5-0 and of course we’re undefeated now and we secured our playoff spot and we’re rolling,” Dowell said. “Everything is bright now but we gotta finished what we started in November, so we gotta keep coming at it one day at a time in practice.”

Alton Marquette dropped to 0-5 on the season.