By Blake Haas
OAK LAWN, IL – Offensive struggles churned into lackluster defense forcing local teams to fall in Illinois High School Association football Quarterfinals.
High School Football Playoffs: Oak Lawn Richards 22, Normal West 17
Leshon Williams rushed for 205 yrds. and Sebastian Castro added 102 including a 45-yrd. touchdown with only 1:24 left to help Oak Lawn Richards hold off the Normal West Wildcats 22-17 in the Class 6A Quarterfinal in Oak Lawn.
Armani Forrest returned to the field after missing the last five games and scored two touchdowns for West on 35 and 15 yrd. passes from Carson Camp. Wildcats pushed back within five points with only 23 seconds remaining, but Richards recovered Parker Theobald’s onside kick and ran out the clock to preserve the win.
“They have been like this all year, this group when they are down they never give up and that’s what they showed tonight the determination, facing adversity and pushing the limits of the other team, and that senior class and this football team has a lot to be proud of,” said first-year Normal West coach Nathan Fincham. “That senior class is obviously a special group for me in my first-year here. The way they supported me this year obviously means a lot. That’s one of the best groups to ever come through this school.”
Forrest finished with 164 yrds. on eight catches, while Camp completed 18-30 passes for 281 yrds., but the Wildcats running game was held to 70 yrds. rushing.
Normal West finishes 10-2, while Richards (12-0) will travel to Crete-Monee next weekend with date and time to be determined.
Decatur St. Teresa 27, Tri-Valley 14
With only one pass completion in the first half, Tri-Valley struggled to find a groove in the Class 2A Quarterfinal against Decatur St. Teresa in Decatur.
Senior running back Hunter Gawlik led the way for the Vikings offensively with 80 rush-yrds. on 12 carries. Meanwhile, Zander Woodring tallied 40-yrds. on 12 carries. Before half, the Vikings led St. Teresa 7-6, but the second half wrote a different story for the Vikings.
“I’m very happy with how they finished the year…They (seniors) did a good job with showing the young kids how they are supposed to be playing,” said Vikings coach Josh Roop. “I felt like we had opportunities to win this game. Our kids played hard and hats off to St. T and I wish them the best of luck, but I felt that we had opportunities to win this game and they made the most of their opportunities.”
Senior Quarterback Jake Reeser threw for 40-yrds. on three completions in the 27-14 loss. Tri-Valley finishes the season (7-5). Decatur St. Teresa (11-0) will face Maroa-Forsyth (11-0) next weekend in the Semi-Finals with date and time to be determined.
Other high school football playoff score:
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 27, Sterling (Newman Central Catholic) 12
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
