Game night is headbanging night for Matthew Mucha, and it’s catching on with his Mount Carmel teammates.

The junior inside linebacker has been firing the Caravan’s defense up all year during the pregame by banging his head against a locker. With his helmet, of course.

It works, according to junior defensive back Le’Javier Payne.

“He gets everybody pumped,” Payne said. “I love Mucha. That’s my boy. When he bangs his head, it means he’s ready. And he’s ready, I’m ready.”

Payne even joined in on the act Friday night as he banged heads with a teammate. Both then went out and had interceptions for the host Caravan in a 38-7 victory over St. Rita in a CCL/ESCC Blue opener in Chicago.

This was a matchup between Mount Carmel — ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 7A by The Associated Press — and St. Rita at No. 2.

Mount Carmel (4-0, 1-0) continued its mastery on offense as Jack Elliott threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns. Maurice Densmore ran for 99 yards and a TD on four carries, while Darrion Dupree ran for 54 yards and two TDs and caught three passes for 102 yards and a TD.

For St. Rita (3-1, 1-0), Jett Hilding threw for 110 yards and a TD. He hit Jimmie Maxson for a 69-yard TD on the Mustangs’ third play from scrimmage.

That’s when Mucha and Co. went to work. Take away that TD and the Mustangs only mustered 128 yards on the other 48 plays.

“It was a wake-up call, but it happens,” Mucha said of St. Rita’s quick-strike score. “You can’t worry about it. Next play. Don’t worry about it. Next play. We have our teammates’ backs.”

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Mucha came up with his interception in the first quarter at the St. Rita 12. That led to a four-play scoring drive, giving the Caravan a 21-7 lead to help break open the game.

Mount Carmel opened the season beating nationally ranked East St. Louis 36-33, but the final score bothered the defense. The Caravan followed it up by allowing only 12 points to Morgan Park before shutting out Niles Notre Dame.

That’s more like it for Mucha.

“We knew that we didn’t play to the best of our abilities against East St. Louis,” Mucha said. “We went to work. We went to practice and focused on things that we did wrong and we corrected them.”

Mucha, who lives in Alsip, was thinking he would end up at Shepard. But his father, also named Matt, played receiver at Mount Carmel. The younger Mucha delighted his dad when he said he wanted to play for the Caravan.

“It just came to me,” he said. “I was hanging out with some buddies who were from Catholic schools and they were trying to convince me to go. One day, I came home and said, ‘Dad, I want to go to Carmel.’

“He was elated.”

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The offensive players are elated Mucha and the rest of the defense were able to shut down the Mustangs.

“It’s great having such a great defense, and that’s the backbone of the team,” Elliott said. “They keep getting better and better.

“Matthew is a fun player to watch. He’s the hardest working player out there. He’s always here early and stays late. Even though he’s a junior, he’s been a leader on this team.”

And Mucha doesn’t just take his aggression out on the lockers.

He takes it out on opponents, too.

“I try to be as violent as possible,” he said. “But at the same time, with the violence, you have to be patient and to be disciplined.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.