Carmel completes 8-1 season by shutting out St. Patrick

The Carmel football team has come a long way in Jason McKie's time as head coach.

He won one game his first year in the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season, but on Friday, his squad finished the regular season with its most dominant win of the season, and heads into the playoffs with only one regular-season loss.

With postseason already locked up entering the game, Carmel wasn't overlooking St. Patrick, winning 42-0.

Every season under McKie, the Corsairs have improved in the win column. They made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016. The Corsairs will now be in the postseason for consecutive years for the first time since 2010 and 2011.

"If you want to be good, you have to put in the work," McKie said. "And just because you put in the work it doesn't mean you're going to be good. But if you want to have a chance, you have to put in the work and that is what the kids did. … I've known some of these kids all the way back in elementary school and they've always had a hard-working mentality."

Donovan Dey led Carmel (8-1, 3-0 CCL/ESCC Purple) with a career-high four touchdowns and 105 yards rushing, all in the first half.

But it was the defense that set up Dey and the offense with good field position. The defense intercepted as many passes in the first half as completions allowed, and went into the locker room giving up only 39 yards of total offense and one first down. Gavin Fitzgerald picked up 23 of those yards on a fake punt.

"The defense was amazing," Dey said. "They let up 0 points and kept putting me in good field position. Harlon May, he got a pick … and put it at the 1. I got a 1-yard touchdown thanks to him."

Dev'ion Reynolds recovered a muffed punt to set up Dey and the Corsairs' first touchdown. He also ended the Shamrocks' final offensive possession with an interception in the end zone. Tyshaun Campbell scored after picking off a pass to go along with May and Reynolds interceptions.

"We were ready for it," Campbell said. "We were ready for everything. Every pass we studied. We watched film, a lot of film."

Torey French also scored in the first half on a 25-yard throw from Johnny Weber.

Carmel will now head into the playoffs after two consecutive shutouts and its second highest point output of the season.

"Now, obviously going into the playoffs, you want to go in on a high note," McKie said. "But we know the season starts now."