Unbeaten Crete-Monee gets past Rich East

Updated: October 22, 2011 9:27PM

No. 9 Crete-Monee escaped Park Forest on Saturday with a 20-13 win over Rich East, a Southland Athletic Conference title, and its unbeaten record intact — though perhaps not its reputation as a team to be feared in the Class 6A playoffs.

“The tape isn’t going to scare anybody,” Warriors coach Jerry Verde conceded. “That being said, we found a way to win under extremely adverse conditions — and that’s a sign of a good team, too.”

Crete-Monee won without the services of Michigan-bound cornerback Anthony Standifer, who left with an injury suffered on the opening kickoff, and with its other starting corner, Tracy Whitehead, limited by a leg injury.

“We had a very specific game plan,” Verde said. “When we started to lose pieces, we had to plug in the rest. ... We made a lot of mental mistakes.”

The Warriors (9-0, 5-0) were outgained 328-267 by the Rockets (6-3, 3-2). East hung around to the final play of regulation and beyond — a pass-interference call in the end zone as time expired giving it one last shot from the 17-yard-line.

Brandon Sykes intercepted Malcolm Miller’s final throw to seal the win.

“We finally played a full game,” East coach Barry Reade said. “We’ve struggled in previous weeks to play beyond 24 minutes.

“If you’re going to lose a game, you want to have it in your hands and go down swinging — and we did that.”

Crete-Monee jumped ahead 14-0, largely due to the Marcus Terrell-to-LaQuan Treadwell connection. Treadwell (7 receptions, 140 yards) had an 18-yard catch prefacing his 20-yard touchdown reception on Crete’s second possession and set up the Warriors’ second touchdown with a 45-yard catch. Kenneth Kidd finished that drive with a 2-yard run.

The Rockets closed to 14-10 on Jeremy Kalonji’s 24-yard field goal and a 9-yard touchdown grab by Richard White. White also carried 22 times for 114 yards.

Kidd’s second touchdown, from three yards out, made it 20-10 with 3:40 to play in the third quarter. Kalonji finished the scoring with a 27-yard field goal with 6:48 to play.

Terrell completed 16-of-27 passes for 235 yards.

No. 1 Lincoln-Way East 42, Joliet West 7: Blake Winkler was 8-of-11 passing for 186 yards and three touchdowns for visiting Lincoln-Way East (9-0, 7-0) in the SouthWest Suburban Blue.

Lincoln-Way Central 55, Joliet Central 6: Brett Ditchman had 34 carries for 152 yards and five touchdowns to spark visiting Lincoln-Way Central (2-7, 1-6) in the SouthWest Suburban Blue.

Thornwood 41, Thornridge 0: Host Thornwood (5-4, 3-4) prevailed in the SouthWest Suburban Red. Thornridge closed 0-9, 0-7.

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