After Peotone’s impressive 42-13 win at rival Manteno on Oct. 9, the Blue Devils gathered for a celebratory team photo at midfield to mark the Rumble on Route 50 victory.
It was sweet revenge for Peotone as it improved to 6-2 overall and to 4-2 in the Illinois Central Eight. The photo likely made the rounds on social media.
“The key was just physical domination,” said senior left tackle Ryan Hitz-Easton, who helped pave the way for 328 yards rushing. “We wanted tonight more than they did. They beat us last year, but this year we just needed to get it back. We were back for blood.”
Manteno (5-3, 3-3 ICE) trailed 20-7 at the half, but took the second-half kickoff and got into Peotone territory after a long pass. The drive ended in a turnover on downs at the 35-yard line, and Peotone went back to work.
Eli Chenoweth capped another drive with an 8-yard TD run up the middle for a 28-7 lead that deflated Manteno.
“At that point, I was definitely feeling pretty good about what we were doing,” Hitz-Easton said. “We had the game plan down of what we were going to do for each of their alignments, and they just couldn’t stop us at that point.”
Nick Cronin, who finished with 116 yards rushing on 17 attempts, ran around the left end on a counter for a 37-yard TD, and Alex Chenoweth broke off a 64-yard TD jaunt in the fourth quarter for a 42-7 bulge.
Peotone senior center Jimmy Iozzo said the game plan was to move the Panthers off the line.
“Stick to your rules,” he said. “Obviously, that was a very talented team, so we just did what we needed to do, moved them when we needed to move them.”
The movement started at the outset. Peotone embarked on a nine-play, 67-yard drive that Cronin capped with a 1-yard plunge. The Blue Devils recovered the ensuing pooch kickoff at the Manteno 34, and Cronin scored nine plays later from the 2 for a 13-0 lead with 2:22 remaining in the first quarter.
Alex Chenoweth intercepted a Manteno pass near the goal line that Peotone capitalized with another long drive. Eli Chenoweth scored from three yards out for a 20-0 lead.
Peotone coach Tolly Tsiamas said everyone did a great job running the football, and he praised the blocking by fullback Eli Chenoweth.
“That was the best game I’ve seen him play as far as a blocker,” he said. “Nick and Declan (McMaster) and Alex were the recipients because of it. Just a great game by our kids, and I got a ton of respect for RJ Haines and his football team. That’s a good football team that we just beat.”
Quarterback Logan Bufford completed 14 of 30 passes for 232 yards and two TDs, but Manteno was held to 52 yards rushing.
“We were out of system all night offensively because of (Peotone),” Manteno coach RJ Haines said. “They just flat outplayed us.”
Alex Chenoweth said he wasn’t surprised the game wasn’t close.
“I wanted to come in here and dominate, and that’s what we did,” he said.
Kankakee 34, Crete-Monee 14: After falling behind 21-0 early in the second quarter, host Crete got within a touchdown before losing on Oct. 9.
Two-way starter Dominic Jackson ran 18 times for 119 yards for the Warriors (6-2, 4-1 Southland) and threw an 8-yard TD pass on fourth down to fellow defensive lineman Kamal Bryant. Amarre Carey ran 22 times for 88 yards for Crete and Malik Hernandez returned an interception 56 yards for a score.
Mike Clark contributed to this story.