Curie’s football program is steadily getting back on its feet. The school’s top-notch basketball team is giving a helping hand, which is not always the case.
“It’s lovely to be at a school where the basketball coach wants his kids to play football,” Condors coach Jarve Lewis-Bey said. “[Curie basketball coach Mike Oliver] understands that if nothing else they will get a little tougher. When you are down there banging bodies in the post, it is just like playing defensive end, banging bodies with that tackle.”
Sophomore Aschar Smith, a basketball player, came up with the key play of the game in Curie’s 8-0 win against Dyett on Thursday at Gately Stadium.
“Seeing these basketball guys play on the football field amazed me,” Curie quarterback Gabriel Taylor said. “They are our up-and-coming stars.”
Smith’s interception in the third quarter shut down the Eagles’ most promising drive of the game.
“It shocked everybody,” said Taylor, also a basketball player. “Seeing a guy who didn’t play last year step up and catch a really good pick. It stopped their momentum and gave us some and led to us winning the game.”
The Condors (2-0) took the lead on a five-yard touchdown run by Vince Williams late in the first half. It was the only time either team threatened to score. The game was ugly, filled with penalties.
“Nothing was going right at all,” Taylor said. “But we came together, and we put our heads down and we held our lead. If we would have given up a touchdown we would have given up another one and lost.”
Taylor completed two passes for 17 yards and had seven carries for 11 yards. Running back Darius Townsel had 16 carries for 35 yards for the Condors.
Dyett (1-1) also had trouble moving the ball. Quarterback Micheal Poe was 8-for-16 for 60 yards with two interceptions. Four completions went for negative yards.
Senior Riddie Madison had three catches for 62 yards for the Eagles. Both teams had multiple unsportsmanlike penalties.
“A win is a win, that’s what I take from it,” Lewis-Bey said. “The kids were doing a lot of talking on social media, back and forth. So they were a little too excited. A lot of mistakes were happening. They had to calm down and just play football.”
Curie was a semi-regular Class 8A playoff qualifier from 2005 until 2020. The Condors fell on hard times after COVID, going winless in 2021 and 2023.
Lewis-Bey led Curie to a 5-5 finish last season, his first in charge. Curie lost 49-0 to Glenbard East in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs.
“I don’t know if we are rolling yet,” Lewis-Bey said. “I really can’t say that. But we are trying to get it back. Those [basketball] guys help a lot. And knowing they will be here to help us and the [basketball] coaches aren’t saying ‘no, my guys can’t play,’ is great.”
@michaelsobriensports Curie knocked off Dyett 8-0 on Thursday. The Condors are 2-0. #ihsa #football #curiehighschool #chicago ♬ original sound – michaelsobriensports