Versatile James McGrath headlines St. Francis defense amid dominant postseason run

St. Francis saved its best football for the postseason, and it’s hard to ignore the Spartans’ offense. With quarterback Jadon Wilson and running back Tivias Caldwell Jr. leading the way, St. Francis poured on 151 points over three games these playoffs.But perhaps a more impressive – and maybe more important – stat down the stretch is St. Francis’ points allowed. After holding Montini to a regular-season low 28 points in Week 9, St. Francis has given up just 32 points in the playoffs, 14 of those coming in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.Defense will be a premium when St. Francis faces Cary-Grove (9-2) in the Class 5A state quarterfinals Saturday. But with safety James McGrath manning the unit, the Spartans have reason for confidence. “He’s been the epitome of sacrificing himself to make sure the team is playing really well,” St. Francis coach Bob McMillen said. “I couldn’t be more excited about what James is doing and what this defense is doing. The defense is playing gre