Stillman pleads the fourth
CHAMPAIGN – Adam Cox rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns Friday to lead Stillman Valley to a 52-22 victory over Tolono Unity for the IHSA Class 3A football championship.
Stillman set a record for most points in a Class 3A title game, and rushed for 463 yards.
Four players rushed for 79 or more yards for Stillman Valley. Quarterback Brandon Schwengels added 106 yards on six carries. Nate Bond ran for 82 yards and quarterback Dan Green 79 before he had to leave the game with an ankle injury. Cox’s total came on 26 carries.
“This was a rush,” Schwengels said. “Being here in this stadium and the fans, this was the biggest game of our lives.”
The Cardinals finished the season 14-0.
It was the fourth state title for Stillman Valley, which earlier took the crown in 1999, 2000 and 2003.
Tolono closed the gap in the second half to 24-14, but Stillman went on a 21-play scoring drive and were successful on three fourth-down conversions.
“That was a key point in the game,” Stillman coach Mike Lalor said. “They scored quickly and that drive gave us the momentum back.”
Class 4A
Metamora 41, Geneseo 7: Quarterback Michael Fay ran for 165 yards and four touchdowns as Metamora routed Geneseo 41-7 for the 4A championship.
Metamora exploded for three second-quarter scores in Friday night’s game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
Aaron Peters added 168 yards and a touchdown for the Redbirds (13-1).
Metamora gained 477 yards, all but 30 of them on the ground.
It was the third state title for Metamora. The Redbirds also won in 1975 and 2007. They also have seven second-place finishes.
“This is very rewarding,” Redbirds coach Pat Ryan said. “The only thing we asked of each other is that we kept looking each other in the eye. We did that and we were able to figure some things out.”
Geneseo (11-3) was led by Luke Lembke, who had 164 yards on nine carries and scored his team’s lone touchdown.
“They controlled the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively,” Geneseo coach Larry Johnsen Jr. said. “They got going and we couldn’t shut off the valve.”
Class 1A
Tuscola 14, Lexington 7: Phillip Meyer’s 10-yard run with 5:30 left in the game helped give Tuscola a victory over Lexington in the 1A title game.
Friday’s victory was the second state championship for the Warriors (11-3). They also won in 2006.
“I can’t say enough about the ability of these guys,” Warriors coach Rick Reinhart said. “I think my coaching staff, by far, is the best around. We beat an awfully good football team.
Tuscola quarterback Jud Wiekne threw for 165 yards and hit Pat Yoakum with a 36-yard pass with 1:12 left in the first half.
Senior running back T.J. Stinde entered the game with a state-record 3,197 yards for Lexington (13-1). He rushed for 128 yards on 30 carries in the title game, including a 55-yard run with 5:30 left in the second quarter.
“They were all over us,” Stinde said of the Warriors defense. “They hit hard. They were fast. There wasn’t a hole to run through.”
