It’s easy to overlook Gavin Conjar on a Mount Carmel team that’s loaded with high-level Division I recruits. But the senior linebacker/tight end brings toughness and leadership on both sides of the ball.

Oh, and intelligence. The honor student was recognized before Friday night’s game as a U.S. Army scholar-athlete. The game was part of the Army’s Great American Rivalry Series.

“I take a lot of pride in school work,” Conjar said. “I want to do good in the classroom and on the football field so I can get a good education in college as well as play football.”

Conjar sure showed off the athlete part of his status against St. Rita. He piled up 10 tackles and two sacks as host Mount Carmel cruised to a 35-14 victory in Chicago.

Emmett Dowling completed 21 of 31 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score for the Caravan (2-0). Jamari Brown finished with six catches for 119 yards and a TD, while Marshaun Thornton hauled in two TD catches.

Steven Armbruster completed 15 of 26 passes for 132 yards for St. Rita (1-1), including a 1-yard TD toss to Damon Sutton. Donovan Evans added six catches for 76 yards and hauled in a 6-yard TD pass from John Fennell. Defensively, Jaiden Blunt recovered a fumble.

Conjar, meanwhile, set the tone for Mount Carmel’s defense with a sack on St. Rita’s first drive. He consistently put pressure on Armbruster.

“Being a captain, I feel like I’ve got a lot of people looking at me,” Conjar said. “I need to be one of the players everyone can depend on at all times to make the play or to help out.”

Mount Carmel’s Gavin Conjar (1) slides into position on defense against St. Rita during a CCL/ESCC crossover game in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

Senior defensive lineman Joey Quinn, a Vanderbilt recruit, sees Conjar becoming a vital part of the Caravan defense.

“He’s a huge leader on the team,” Quinn said of Conjar. “He’s always getting loud before the games. Everyone believes in him. He’s really stepped up this year.

“He’s getting a lot of huge sacks and tackles. I think he’s going to be a huge part of this defense.”

Dowling, who was named the game’s MVP, threw four TD passes for the second straight week, silencing any doubts about whether he could continue the Mount Carmel quarterback excellence demonstrated over the last few years by his older brother, Blainey, and Jack Elliott.

“There’s definitely a lot of pressure but coach (Jordan) Lynch helps me out a lot with that,” Dowling said. “He tells me, ‘Play Emmett Dowling football. That’s all you’ve got to do.’”

Mount Carmel’s Emmett Dowling (7) looks for an open receiver against St. Rita during a CCL/ESCC crossover game in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

The Caravan built a 21-0 halftime lead despite St. Rita reaching the red zone twice and getting into Mount Carmel territory three times in the first two quarters.

One of those drives was stalled by a sack from Conjar that went for a 16-yard loss.

Conjar acknowledged the Caravan had a point to prove defensively after last week’s 43-42 shootout win over Moeller in Ohio.

“We wanted to make a statement to the whole state that we’re a good defense,” Conjar said. “We’re not going to let up big plays in big games like last week.”

Mount Carmel’s Gavin Conjar (1) pressures St. Rita quarterback Steven Armbruster (5) during a CCL/ESCC crossover game in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

Conjar is receiving some lower-level college interest. He’s considering playing at Washington in St. Louis, where older brother Kieran played, but is open to other options. Academics will certainly play a key part in his decision.

Lynch knows how valuable leaders like Conjar and senior linebacker/tight end Stephen Winkler can be.

“We can talk about all the high-level recruits we have, but guys like Gavin Conjar are what this program is all about,” Lynch said. “Him and Stephen Winkler, those guys are tough and gritty and make the non-flashy plays. They do the job no one else wants to do.

“I’ll take 22 Gavin Conjars any day of the week.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/05/gavin-conjar-mount-carmel-st-rita-ihsa-football/