Host Crete-Monee scored 14 points in the final 10:42 to nip Peoria Richwoods 35-32 Saturday afternoon in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs and will host Ottawa next weekend in the quarterfinals.
Laquon Treadwell’s 53-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:42 left and quarterback Marcus Terrell’s 1-yard TD run with 1:46 remaining helped erase a 32-21 deficit and the memory of a lot of bad things that happened earlier in the game, including four fumbles and three interceptions.
“It felt awesome to get that touchdown,” Terrell said. “If we could play through this, we could play through anything. This has to be the sloppiest we played. I don’t think we could play any sloppier.”
Terrell was 16 of 29 for 192 yards and two TDs. Treadwell caught six passes for 84 yards and ran six times for 38 yards and a score and kicked five extra points. Lance Lenoir and DeShaun Smith had touchdown receptions.
“We played with a lot of heart when everything, and I mean everything, was going wrong,” Crete-Monee coach Jerry Verde said. “I think we fumbled the ball away four times all year coming into the game and I know Marcus only threw three interceptions. To still win the game after all of that shows what kind of team we have.”
The Warriors avenged a 51-36 loss to the Knights in the second round of the playoffs last year in Peoria. In that game, running back Kendrick Foster ran for 168 yards on 29 carries. He was held to 46 yards on 22 carries Saturday.
“I don’t think it was revenge — it was just another game to me,” Treadwell said. “But it was all over our school and all over our locker room to beat Peoria. That’s all we heard all year.”
