METAMORA — The Metamora Redbirds had 99 players dressed on their sideline, while Chicago South Shore had 33 and little hope Saturday.
The numbers proved to be just as one-sided on the field, as the Redbirds rolled to a 62-14 victory at Malone Field in the first round of the IHSA Class 4A playoffs.
It was 32-0 after a first quarter in which Metamora ran nine plays. It was 54-8 at halftime. The Redbirds reserves were in the game by early in the second quarter.
“I think it was a little bit of shock and awe for (South Shore) when they look over there and see 99 guys and they have 33,” Metamora coach Nick Delinski said. “We ran out of uniform numbers. Filled them all. But that’s a program that is trying to build itself, and make some progress.
“I think we kind of knew pretty early on what we could do.”
What they did was run senior running back Jaiduan Cranford eight times for 125 yards and two touchdowns in little more than the first quarter plus one series.
Next stop, a familiar foe
On to Morris, a longtime playoff rival, whose coaches were at the game, among the 29 spectators in the South Shore grandstand.
Not only will the Redbirds face them at 3 p.m. Saturday in the second round, but they’ll be playing against their own history as a team that has not reached the quarterfinals since 2016 — when Metamora also faced Morris.
“I was calling plays in that game,” Delinski said, remembering that 12-7 loss to Morris in the quarterfinals. “One of my favorite Pat Ryan stories comes from that game. I was trying to think of something that could give us a second score. I went off the sideline and stood on the field, and Pat looks over at me and says, ‘What are you doing out there? You’re gonna get us a sideline warning.’
“I told him, ‘I know. But I don’t have a play. We still have a sideline warning to burn, and now I have an extra 40 seconds to think about a play.’ “
It will be the fifth playoff meeting between Metamora and Morris since 2001, and seventh all-time including the 2007 state championship game won by the Redbirds.
“We beat them once in a pretty big game,” said Delinski, referring to 2007. “I think it will be a huge game. But we’ve got to find a way to make it an even bigger rivalry – by winning one.”
No. 7 seed Metamora goes in at 8-2. No. 2 seed Morris is 9-1 and beat Woodstock, 54-7, in the first round.
No. 10 seed Chicago South Shore, meanwhile, slipped to 7-3 after seeing a five-game win streak snapped. The Tars are 0-7 all-time in postseason play.
Metamora moves on after being 12th in the final AP state poll released Wednesday, among others receiving votes.
B.A.M.N.
Metamora scored on the game’s second play when quarterback Stephen Petri hit receiver Kylan McMillen for a 35-yard TD pass. McMillen spun out of a tackle downfield and raced to the end zone.
Metamora junior Caiden Puntoni recovered a fumble on South Shore’s ensuing first series. Four plays later, the Cranford carried in from the 2 for 16-0 with 7:23 still on the clock.
South Shore’s second series ended on an interception and 40-yard return by senior Brayden Bitner. Petri ran it in on a quarterback draw from the 14 for a 24-0 lead with 5:39 left.
Cranford took a handoff at the Metamora 27, reversed course at the line, headed around the right edge and cut back twice while racing downfield for a 73-yard TD and a 32-0 lead 3:02 still left in the first quarter.
Cranford wore eye-black stickers across the bridge of his nose and under both eyes. He added a cross in the middle, dividing the letters B.A.M.N.
“By Any Means Necessary,” Cranford said, explaining what it meant. “We took care of it today, did what we were supposed to do, and everyone contributed.
“Now we’ve got Morris. We know the history. We have to go change that history.”
Depth perception
A secondary effect of Metamora’s game is the experience it was able to give its reserve units, all the way down to freshman, for large portions of the game.
Starting quarterback Petri ran the ball across from the 4 on the opening series 90 seconds into the second quarter, for a 40-0 lead. He tweaked an existing leg injury on that play, and left the game, although at that point he might have been coming out anyway.
McMillen delivered Metamora’s second interception of South Shore quarterback Zhyare Harris three plays later.
When the Redbirds came out for their second possession of the quarter, running backs Mark Aeschliman and Keon Allen took over the backfield with junior Christian Nelson at quarterback.
Aeschliman capped the drive with a power across from the 1 for 47-0.
South Shore got on the board with a 79-yard TD run from running back Marcus Rogers with 74 seconds left.
But the Redbirds got an 80-yard touchdown return from junior Jayson Pickles on the following kickoff with 47 seconds left, to shove the game to 54-7 at halftime and a running clock.
“That first TD felt good for us, our confidence was high and we just kept going,” Petri said. “We’re already looking forward to Monday (preparation for Morris).”
Metamora’s defense got fumble recoveries from Puntoni, Jaxson Backes and Ryan Murray, and interceptions from Bitner and McMillen.
The Redbirds offense produced 320 yards and seven touchdowns on 35 snaps, plus an 80-yard kickoff return for TD.
Cranford ran eight times for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Petri ran for two TDs and threw a 35-yard TD pass.
South Shore produced 144 yards on 39 snaps, and got 15 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown from running back Marcus Rogers.
“We got Nelson in there at quarterback and that’s great experience for him,” Delinski said. “We got guys onto the field who have been great teammates all year, been excited for the guys they watch play.”
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: After Metamora football domination, a longtime playoff rival awaits
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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