By Jake Fogal
BLOOMINGTON – Fresh off its first loss of the season, the Purple Raiders of Bloomington came out hungry in Week 7 to get back into the win column over Peoria Notre Dame.
Bloomington throughout the season has been a team that sets the tone early in ballgames, but Peoria Notre Dame senior Jack Hanley struck first with a 19-yard touchdown run mid-way through the first quarter. The Purple Raiders managed to get into the scoring column late in the opening quarter as Jordan Norton found the end zone on a 14-yard sprint.
Carter Tindall caught a 57-yard pass from quarterback AJ Codron early in the second quarter as Bloomington extended its lead to seven after a successful two point conversion. The Fighting Irish utilize a Wing T offense that has flustered opposing defenses throughout the season, but the Purple Raiders kept PND at bay through the first half with only seven points.
Senior Rob Lanier added a touchdown to the board for Bloomington with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter, giving BHS a 20-7 advantage through the first 24 minutes of play.
Lanier continued his scoring run by getting back into the end zone in the third quarter. The Purple Raiders drained much of the clock through the third quarter, pushing their advantage to 27-7.
Bloomington shutout the Fighting Irish in the final three quarters as Kenyetta Gardner grabbed an interception for BHS in the fourth quarter. That turnover lead to a touchdown before the game went final by Lerenz Higgins, 34-7.
Gardner was named the Lanz Underground Player of the Game for his performance on the defensive side of the ball. He spoke with WJBC’s Eric Lapan.
The Bloomington Purple Raiders move to 6-1(5-1) on the season and have clinched a spot into the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Head Coach Niall Mulcahy spoke with WJBC’s Eric Lapan.
Other final scores throughout Central Illinois in Week 7 :
(6-1) Normal Community 71-12 Danville (2-5)
(4-3) Central Catholic 49-28 IVC (1-6)
(5-2) Normal West 49-6 Peoria Manuel (0-7)
(5-2) U-High 40-12 Decatur Eisenhower (0-6)
(7-0) Maroa-Forsyth 61-33 Olympia (4-3)
(5-2) Shelbyville 30-22 Clinton (4-3)
(4-3) El-Paso Gridley 19-14 Dee-Mack (3-4)
(7-0) LeRoy 41-7 Warrensburg-Latham (5-2)
(7-0) St. Joe-Ogden 59-8 Pontiac (0-7)
(7-0) GCMS 43-12 Fieldcrest (1-5)
(6-1) Tri-Valley 42-12 Ridgeview/Lexington (2-5)
(7-0) Eureka 46-14 Tremont (0-7)
(4-3) Tuscola 25-20 Heyworth (2-5)
(5-2) Glenwood 57-0 Lincoln (4-3)
The following teams have clinched a playoff berth with six wins or more. Bloomington, Normal Community, LeRoy, Eureka, and GCMS, Tri-Valley.
Normal West and U-High are both playoff-eligible with five wins on the season. Two weeks remain in the regular season.
The High School Football Extravaganza is sponsored by CEFCU.
Jake Fogal can be reached at [email protected].
