High School Football: Keen returns a big favor for Hillcrest

Hillcrest set the tone early and never looked back.

Ryan Keen ran the opening kickoff back 78 yards to pay dirt, getting the Hawks off on the right foot en route to a 36-8 victory over Marshall on Friday night in the Class 5A playoffs at Hanson Stadium in Chicago.

Keen, a junior, did a tightrope act near the sideline and rocketed to the end zone after making several would-be tacklers miss near midfield.

"Coming into the game, I just wanted to do something to help our team out," Keen said. "I've been close to going all the way on a couple of kicks this season but had never gotten one in before. I guess tonight was a pretty good time for that first one."

Hillcrest coach Earnest Sutton was pleased with his team's overall play.

"Ryan running that opening kick back for us was huge," Sutton said. "Really, overall, I thought we played a pretty strong game tonight. It was a good win for us, a playoff win that we did some good things in, and fortunately, we're moving on. We knew Marshall had a tough defense, and I'm glad we got past them."

The Hawks (6-4) are to face the winner of today's Montini- Clark game next Friday in Country Club Hills.

The Hawks' offensive star of the game was quarterback Herb Offord. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound signal-caller was 6-of-10 passing for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also found the end zone twice on the ground, carrying 16 times for 107 yards.

Offord scored from 5 yards out with 6:47 left in the opening quarter. After a quick pass to Keen for the 2-point conversion, Hillcrest led 14-0.

Offord scored on a 1-yard plunge with 7:26 to go in the third period, and Morgan Weaver boosted the lead to 22-0 by running in the 2-point try.

Joseph Bailey (3 catches, 93 yards, TD) hauled in a 56-yard TD pass from Offord with no time left in the quarter before booting the first of his two PATs to make it 29-0.

The Hawks completed their scoring courtesy of a fake punt by Offord, who fired a 36-yard dart to Ken Burke with 4:03 left in the game. Marshall (5-5) scored its only TD on a 92-yard fumble return by Montique Allen.