Cary-Grove’s rushing yards accumulated faster than the rain falling from the sky during the team’s IHSA Class 5A second-round playoff game against St. Patrick.

The Shamrocks had no answer for the powerful Trojans rushing attack, which broke off seven runs of 40 or more yards and generated over 400 yards en route to a dominant 55-21 victory at Triton College on Saturday night. Five C-G players scored touchdowns, while the Trojans defense intercepted St. Patrick quarterback Gavin Gardiner three times in the second-round win.

“Our mentality is always to be physical,” C-G quarterback Jackson Berndt said. “We played really well as a team and all 11 guys did their job. We had a lot of great downfield efforts on blocks. We wanted to come out and play as fast and physical as we could. They’re a great team, so it boosts our confident a lot. We played a great team, we went out and did our thing.”

The Trojans (9-2), who advance to take on Belvidere North in the 5A quarterfinals next weekend, established their dominance from the first defensive series. After defensive back Jason Ritter Jr. picked off a Gardiner pass near midfield, Berndt kept the ball on an option play and knifed through the middle of the St. Patrick defense for a 40-yard touchdown carry.

“Our game plan coming in was to not allow big plays,” Ritter Jr. said. “We did a great job and the guys on the line pressured them all night. Reading the quarterback’s eyes was big and he was staring his receivers down. I was able to get a few of them, but I couldn’t have done it without the pressure from the guys down below. It’s a good win, but we have bigger goals for sure.”

Berndt, who ended the game with 122 rushing yards on just three carries, scored his second touchdown midway through the first quarter, shedding tacklers for a 72-yard score on the team’s longest offensive play from scrimmage. With the rain steadily falling, fullback Logan Abrams broke through the middle for a 50-yard touchdown to put C-G up 20-0.

“We got momentum right away from the interception on defense,” Abrams said. “We just kept going from there. The defense got another stop and we scored another touchdown. We had a really good week of practice and we had a lot of guys flying around and having fun tonight. I’m really proud of everyone. This is what we need and we’re going to keep building from here.”

With the Trojans clamping down on St. Patrick’s rushing offense, Gardiner tried for a big play through the air, but the ball wound up in the hands of Ritter Jr., who brought it all the way back to the 1-yard line. Abrams plowed ahead for a touchdown to help the Trojans take a 27-0 first-quarter lead. Abrams finished with 71 rushing yards on seven carries for Cary-Grove.

Freshman running back Leo Zavala joined the fun after another Trojan defensive stop in the second quarter. Taking an option pitch toward the C-G sideline, Zavala broke tackles and sprinted for a 65-yard touchdown. Zavala, who added a 66-yard touchdown run near the end of the second quarter, led the Trojans with 131 rushing yards on only three carries.

“We just clicked as an offense” Zavala said. “We had great blocks all game, which allowed me to make my runs. We played as a whole unit today. We had the approach of being relentless and never giving up. We did our best for our teammates. It’s a pretty good confidence builder, but we play with the same mindset for every team. We play relentless and we play the best we can.”

A 53-yard Lance Moore touchdown scamper, which preceded a Brady Elbert interception in the final moments of the second quarter, allowed the Trojans to take a 48-0 halftime lead. Even though the C-G starting offense rested for the entire second half, the Trojans continued to strike, extending their lead on a 61-yard touchdown by backup quarterback Shane Coyle.

St. Patrick (6-5) avoided the shutout after Rocco Mertens brought a kick roughly 80 yards to the end zone midway through the third quarter. Faced with a running clock, the Shamrocks scored the final two touchdowns, with Gardiner hitting wide receiver Timmy Schayer from 22 yards out before finding Sean Kelly for a 21-yard score near the end of the fourth quarter.