Benet junior wide receiver Luca Diomede had a breakout game Friday night.

But he wasn’t exactly jumping for joy afterward.

“Yeah, it was good,” Diomede said. “But we lost, so that’s why I’m bummed.”

Diomede had four catches for 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was the first multitouchdown game of Diomede’s varsity career, but it wasn’t enough to stop visiting St. Patrick from rolling to a 46-24 CCL/ESCC Purple victory at Benedictine University in Lisle.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Diomede entered the game with one previous touchdown catch, so this performance was surely a memorable one.

“He made some nice plays out there today,” Benet coach Pat New said. “He has the skills. It’s just a matter of we just executed when he was out there and called a really nice throwback pass to him when he was open.”

Benet quarterback Ben Clevenger (4) throws a long pass during a CCL/ESCC Purple game against St. Patrick in Lisle on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

That pass was a beautifully planned and executed play. Senior quarterback Ben Clevenger rolled to his right and then threw across the field to Diomede, who caught the ball, spun back to his left and raced into the end zone to give the Redwings (3-3, 1-1) a 17-7 lead with 3:57 left in the second quarter.

“I rolled right, and he just kind of pretended to block, and he just slipped out, and he was wide open,” Clevenger said. “We ran that last year. I remember Declan Walsh broke a few tackles, and that was pretty epic.”

This one wasn’t bad either. Clevenger wasn’t surprised that Diomede scored on it.

“He played amazing,” Clevenger said. “He’s an amazing target. He’s tall, and he’s fast, and he’s got hands. He’s really versatile. You could put him anywhere.”

Diomede, of course, is aiming to visit the end zone more frequently. He got there again early in the fourth quarter when he hauled in a 29-yard scoring strike from Clevenger to pull the Redwings within 32-24 with 9:13 remaining.

Diomede’s second touchdown came just two plays after senior wide receiver Luke Doyle returned a kickoff 49 yards.

But it was merely a bump in the road for the Shamrocks (4-2, 2-1), who scored on six straight possessions. Senior running back Anthony Catron rushed 25 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns for St. Patrick, while junior quarterback Gavin Gardiner completed 12 of 20 passes for 241 yards and two scores.

That more than offset a gutsy game from Clevenger, who rushed for 121 yards and passed for 161 yards, making him part of all but 3 yards of Benet’s total offense.

“We know we have weapons on offense,” New said. “It’s just a matter of executing and protecting the quarterback and getting these guys the ball out in space.”

Benet’s Luca Diomede (8) tries to slip between two St. Patrick players during a CCL/ESCC Purple game in Lisle on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

While Doyle, who had six catches for 83 yards, is Benet’s No. 1 receiver, Diomede is making the case for being a strong No. 2.

“Just mentally, I think he’s such a role model for me,” Diomede said of Doyle. “He’s focused and calm in all situations and just working hard.”

What advice has Doyle given Diomede?

“Keep your head down, don’t look at the scoreboard and keep going,” Diomede said.

The points Diomede put on the scoreboard Friday showed his ability. But the final score indicated why he wasn’t satisfied.

“Sophomore year, I played a little bit, so that kind of helped me prepare for starting,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been working really hard, and I feel like it’s paying off now.

“But we needed a comeback. We need to win more.”

Clevenger thinks more is in store for Diomede.

“Obviously, I won’t be here next year,” Clevenger said. “But I’m excited to see what he’ll turn into.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/04/football-st-patrick-benet-luca-diomede/