Joliet Catholic sees 24-game win streak snapped by Crete-Monee, Cory Stennis

CRETE – Crete-Monee’s 48-42 victory over Joliet Catholic on Friday night came down to two main things.

First, the Warriors (3-2) – ranked sixth in the AP’s state Class 6A poll entering the game – never stopped believing, even when trailing 28-19 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.

Second, video study by Warriors head coach John Konecki and his staff spotted a hole in the Hilltoppers’ pass defense.

“We saw something we could exploit,” Konecki said.

Quarterback Cory Stennis did so, throwing for 457 yards and four touchdowns – in order, of 65, 60, 75 and 50 yards – to help the Warriors stop Joliet Catholic’s winning streak at 24 games.

The Hilltoppers are 4-1 entering next week’s game at St. Laurence.

“They made some plays,” Hilltoppers coach Jake Jaworski said. “We made some plays too. This is our [type of] game like this, coming down to the wire. The first two games, we were able to make the plays to win the game. Tonight, we didn’t.

“We just have to continue to learn and grow from here.”

Stennis competed 26 of 38 passes. The last, a 50-yard slant pattern to Lynel Billips-Williams, was the biggest. The receiver grabbed the pass at the JCA 45, cut left and raced to the end zone for the 48-42 lead with 1:53 remaining.

The Hilltoppers had tied the game, T.J. Schlageter finding Kilvin Van Tassel over the middle for a 48-yard score with 4:54 to go, and Patrick Durkin’s kick providing the 42nd point. But the Warriors weren’t finished.

The third quarter was insane. Joliet Catholic entered it leading 14-12 and exited it trailing 42-28.

Crete-Monee scored 23 points in 3:16 beginning with Billips-Williams’ 98-yard kickoff return, in which he slipped two tackles early and then outran the Hilltoppers the last 80 yards, with 3:46 left in the quarter. After Billips-Williams hit Elijah Grayer on a two-point conversion pass, the gap was closed to 28-27.

The Warriors took the lead 35-28 on Stennis’ 75-yard bomb to Joshua Franklin with 49.7 seconds left in the quarter. They expanded it to 41-28 when Edward Clark scooped up a fumble and ran it 40 yards for a score just 19 seconds later.

Joliet Catholic rallied with a 12-yard touchdown run by Hiram Grigsby six seconds into the fourth quarter, and then the tying touchdown by Van Tassel.

“We’ve got to get better,” Jaworski said. “I liked the way our guys ran the ball, but we’ve got to take care of the football.

“This is what happens when you play good competition. This is where you learn.”