playoff recap - 1st round

What a night of football across the Chicagoland area.. great weather... great fans... and great play on the field!!! As I stated in my first round of playoff observation, I would love for one of our coverage area teams to make the trip down state for the state finals in football. Well, Friday night... could be nicknamed upset Friday but it depends on who you ask... Let's go to the field for some recaps....

SATURDAY Mount Carmel 28, Hinsdale Central 14 Two different Mount Carmel teams showed up Saturday at Gately Stadium. The first-half team represented the one that lost three of its last four regular-season games. The second-half team was more representative of traditional Caravan squads. After dominating with ball-control offense in the second half, the Caravan prevailed 28-14 against Hinsdale Central in a Class 8A playoff opener. "It was our penalties and turnovers that were stopping us," Carmel coach Frank Lenti said. "That (last drive) was classic Mount Carmel. That's exactly what we do." Mount Carmel sealed this game with an 11-play, 91-yard drive that took more than five minutes off the clock midway through the fourth. Don Butkus' 1-yard run capped the drive and was vintage Caravan. Brandon Greer had four carries for 48 yards during the drive. Greer finished the contest with 203 yards on 23 carriers. "My legs are fresher, but I don't care about that," Greer said. "I will do whatever it takes for us to win." The Caravan (7-3) will travel to Bolingbrook next weekend for a second-round game. Crete-Monee 63, Bloomington 14 A solid, clear message was sent Saturday afternoon by Crete, as they knock off Bloomington 63-14. The Warriors outgained the Purple Raiders 421-137; they had six sacks; three turnovers, including a tone-setting 25-yard touchdown that cornerback Tracy Whitehead ran back after forcing and recovering a fumble on the game's third play. "At the beginning of the game we were basically a run-stop defense," said safety Anthony Standifer, a Michigan recruit. "The ball kept getting behind us, so we checked the regular and got everything in front of us." Warriors quarterback Marcus Terrell threw four touchdown passes — three to Laquon Treadwell (14, 53, 28 yards) and one to Breon Bailey. "I was just getting open when I needed to and running my route to perfection," said Treadwell, who had six catches for 119 yards. "It's a five-game season, so we got one win today." Crete-Monee's Kenneth Kidd ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow backs Rykki Tate and Jansen Wiley also scored. Crete-Monee has lost in the Class 6A quarterfinals two years in a row. Up next for the Warriors is Normal Community/Peoria Richwoods. Rich East 28, Metamora 15 The south suburban Rich East Rockets took the long drive to the Mid-Illini conference teams field and handled the business at hand, knocking of Metamora 28-15 for a Class 5A victory Saturday afternoon in front of well over 1000 fans. Metamora turned the ball over five times which helped Rich East, with the biggest one coming when quarterback Ross Hoover’s fumble on first-and-goal at the Rockets 2. Jamaal Greenwood grabbed the ball, preserving a 22-15 lead. Rich East’s Shamond Kemp grabbed a loose ball on Metamora’s next drive, and the Rockets put together their fourth long drive, a 55-yard march capped by Rondell Willingham’s 5-yard plunge, his second touchdown. Metamora outgained Rich East 346-238, with Dekota Doerr (98 yards, touchdown), Charlie Nowotnik (95 yards) and Hoover (88 yards, touchdown) accounting for 281 of them. Rich East will play host to Washington (ILL) next Saturday. Loyola 35, Evanston 0 Loyola opted to pass on the run Saturday during its Class 8A playoff opener against Evanston. Quarterback Malcolm Weaver was happy to oblige after the Ramblers' running attack didn't get very far in a 35-0 victory against Evanston. Weaver was 22-for-29 for 300 yards and three touchdowns in Loyola's second shutout of Evanston this season. The Ramblers (10-0) will face Dunbar (7-3) on the road in Round 2. Maine South 35, Curie 13 Matt Alviti had 5 TD passes to 4 different receivers for Maine South. FRIDAY #1 Lemont 56, #8 Morgan Park 30 Morgan Park scored on first two plays of the game and returned 2 fumbles for TDs in the 4th quarter. Lemont's Mike Anzalone had 34 carries for 147 yards and 3 TDs, and Damon Aleman was 7-for-11 for 119 yards and 3 TDs. **** #12 Homewood-Flossmoor 48, #5 Marist 28 Upset? Depends on who you ask... In this game, the Vikings showed why they deserve to be on the same field with the seed favorite of Marist with the 48-28 victory. Quarterback Tim Williams rushed for three touchdowns and threw for another, and on the other side of the ball, the Vikings held the Redhawks to just one score in the last 33 minutes of the game. "Buzz (H-F coach Craig Buzea) said if we score 50 we should win," Williams said. "We didn't even need that many. They said Marist had a high-powered offense. Our defense took that as a challenge to stop them. They did an excellent job." The teams were evenly matched in a 21-21 first half... each matching the others score, but the second half went to the Vikings. OFFICIAL HIGH SCHOOL PAIRING ARE SET ~ click here to review

A touchdown run by Anfernee Roberts early in the third quarter and a 9-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Gerald Butler with 11 minutes remaining gave the Vikings a 35-21 lead, but a 14-point deficit is hardly insurmountable for Marist.

Before another RedHawks' rally took flight, Hewlett saw what was coming and returned the interception 34 yards to set up a 1-yard score by Roberts and a 42-21 lead with 8:42 to play.

"I knew it was 'Houston,' that was the call made," Hewlett said. "I did what I had to do, got under the receiver and took it to the crib."

Marist captain Ryan Meyer, a senior WR/DB/KR, re-injured his shoulder while covering the opening kickoff and did not play a down from scrimmage.

Sophomore receiver Nic Weishar played both ways in his absence and had 151 yards receiving, two touchdowns and an interception.

Homewood-Flossmoor will face Lockport in the second-round next weekend at Vikings stadium. Get your tickets now!!!


#6 Brother Rice 35, #11 Sandburg 14
Brother Rice RB/DB Martez Walker demonstrated his skill set on both sides of the ball against Sandburg in the Class 8A playoff game obtaining a 35-14 victory.

In the first quarter, he stopped Eagles running back Mike Rago on fourth-and-goal. On the next two possessions, Walker scored on a couple of quick sprints down the field including a 28 and 13 yards touchdown.

"I just made a big play (on the goal-line stand)," said Walker, who had 131 yards rushing by halftime. "We have to keep on playing our hearts out for four quarters."

Walker finished with 15 carries for 182 yards and three touchdowns.

Sandburg were led by Anthony Adams who went 13-for-21 for 108 yards and RB Lemonte Booker 10 carries, 82 yards and a TD.

Brother Rice will play Downers Grove South in the second round next weekend.
*****
#13 Lockport 18, #4 Simeon 15
Public league favorite, Simeon, goes down to Lockport 18-14 in the first round.

Billy Reed, Lockport's quarterback, was able to use his running ability to keep alive second-half scoring drives and lead the Porters to an 18-15 victory Friday against Simeon in Class 8A playoff opener at Gately Stadium.

"This wasn't an upset," Reed said. "We knew all week after watching film of them that we would be able to beat them."

Richie Guess' 11-yard run off of left tackle capped a 14-play, 64-yard drive that ate up more than seven minutes of clock and proved to be the winning score with 3 minutes, 22 seconds left in the game. Dexter Taylor's two-point conversion run followed.

Twice on third-and-long during the drive Reed moved the chains — once with a 10-yard gain and once with a 35-yarder.

On the ensuing possession, Simeon (7-3) quickly advanced to Lockport's 10, where it faced a fourth-and 6. The Wolverines elected to go for it, but Robert Gregory's pass to John Gardner was broken up by Steve Martinez.

"We considered kicking the field goal there," Simeon coach Dante Culbreath said. "Basically, we wanted to go for the win."

Thanks mostly to the Arkansas-bound Gregory, Simeon led 12-0 at halftime. He threw a 27-yard touchdown pass in the left flat to Sharoid Roach, but the point after was blocked. .

The Porters will face Homewood-Flossmoor in a second-round game next weekend in Flossmoor.

OFFICIAL HIGH SCHOOL PAIRING ARE SET ~ click here to review

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