PEORIA — The Richwoods Knights closed out their first win of the season and achieved some closure on an emotional night in which they remembered late teammate Santonio Wallace in their home opener at Endres Field.
Wallace died in an accidental drowing in Florida on Easter Sunday, and his former teammates wore decals on their helmets bearing his initials and uniform number “SW52.”
Then they got him and the program he loved a 28-14 victory over Manual in a penalty-laden Big 12 Conference game.
“Losing a young person is extremely sad,” Richwoods coach James Ulrich said. “Losing one with high character leaves a bite in the rear, an empty void in the stomach. It hurts.
“He was that kind of a person, a charismatic kid who brought others into the game, a leader in our locker room. We will feel his absence.”
The Knights paid tribute to Wallace’s absence with a missing man formation on their first offensive play of the game. They sent out 10 players, leaving Wallace’s right guard position vacant and holding in place until the play clock expired, taking a delay of game penalty.
“Football was his drive,” said Dontae Wallace Oltman, Wallace’s cousin and a Richwoods senior receiver and cornerback. “Always an inspiration to me off the field and on it. I remember when we were just kids in JFL and our team was doing the Oklahoma Drill at practice one day. I was 80 pounds and he was 120, and I challenged him.
“Well, he put me on my butt. It didn’t matter to him who it was he was playing against. The other team, a teammate, his own mom he’d have given 100% no matter what to win. He was devoted, and that carried over to everyone around him.”
How 28-14 happened
Richwoods opened a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when senior Alex Martinez caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli O’Donnell for the game’s first points. Manual answered with a TD run by quarterback Tyree Porter to leave the quarter with an 8-7 lead.
The Knights opened up the game in the second quarter, taking a 14-8 lead on a 3-yard scoring run by sophomore fullback Demarion Richardson.
After a defensive stop, the Knights put together another scoring drive with 3-yard TD run from senior running back Ryan Beschorner for 21-8. Manual closed in the third quarter to 21-14 when Porter threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Makai Hill with 5:15 left.
Richwoods didn’t flinch, putting the game away on a 7-yard TD run by junior fullback Jacob Merna for a 28-14 lead with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter.
Knights kicker Jasmine Bisping, by the way, was 4 of 4 on PAT kicks to make sure no points were left on the table.
Richwoods improved to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 Conference play. Manual slipped to 0-2 (0-1).
Manual beat Richwoods, 54-28, in 2022, but the Knights now have won three straight against the Rams, 28-14 (2025), 15-6 (2024) and 21-0 (2023).
“We responded well when we had to,” Ulrich said. “Now we just have to keep working at it, getting better.”
A football debut and salute
For the Knights, it was the first victory of the season. For one player, it was not just a victory, but his first football game.
Richwoods junior tight end/defensive lineman De’Erik Wallace Ortman came out to play football for the first time this season after his cousin, Santonio Wallace, died in April.
“A lot of emotions for us,” he said. He is for sure one of the reasons I started playing football. I’m dedicated to him. I think about him, how over the last couple summers we’d go fishing a lot, some of the best memories I’ve had with him were fishing.
“Our favorite fishing spot was Lake Story in Galesburg, catching largemouth bass and he really freaked out about a huge one he caught there.
“I miss him every day.”
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: ‘We feel his absence’: Richwoods football’s poignant tribute for a late beloved teammate
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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