Streator seniors come through for senior-night win over Reed-Custer

STREATOR – Both the Streator Bulldogs and Reed-Custer Comets have suffered their share of heartbreaking losses this season.

Streator’s seniors didn’t let it happen again on their senior night Friday at Doug Dieken Stadium.

The Bulldogs played from behind all night until a senior-led, 76-yard drive in the closing minutes punctuated by 12th-grade QB Isaiah Weibel’s 6-yard touchdown completion to senior fullback Tristan Finley with 43.7 seconds remaining put the home team ahead for the first time. The Bulldogs defense then bent but didn’t break on the Comets’ urgent drive in the final minute, finishing with Reed-Custer at Streator’s 22 and time running out on an 18-13 Streator win.

“There was a lot of motivation, kind of like an extra gear for all of the seniors,” senior wide receiver/safety Matt Williamson said. “Me and Jake [Hagie] are the two senior wide receivers, Zay is a senior quarterback, and we’ve got senior running backs.

“So I think we just kicked into an extra gear on that last drive knowing that we had to score to get this win on our senior night.”

Streator (3-5 overall, 2-4 Illinois Central Eight) keeps its very slim playoff hopes alive heading into Week 9′s visit to unbeaten Wilmington.

Reed-Custer (0-8, 0-6) remains winless heading into a Week 9 home game against also-winless Lisle.

“I thought both teams came out with confidence, and both teams could have gotten the ‘W,’ and it was just a great football game,” Reed-Custer coach Gavin Johnston said. “Our kids came in ready to go, but the ball didn’t bounce the right way at the end of the game for us.

“I give all the credit to Streator. That was a great drive they put on there. They were very prolific through the air, and we had no answer to stop them.”

The Bulldogs’ game-winning drive on senior night was sparked by a huge Reed-Custer penalty and a pair of tackles in the backfield by non-seniors.

The Comets – clinging to a 13-12 lead thanks to both Streator extra-point kicks being blocked by Dominic Alaimo and Landen Robinson — appeared poised to either run out the clock or extend their advantage to seven or eight points with a lengthy, double-digit-play drive deep into Bulldogs territory. An 11-yard touchdown run with 2:34 remaining was called back by a holding penalty, though, and Streator’s Cooper Sharisky and Sharonn Morton followed up with back-to-back tackles for loss to turn it over on downs.

“The plan was, if (Reed-Custer) got the first down, we were going to let them score,” Bulldogs coach Matt Cloe said. “And then go back, get the touchdown and try to get the two to tie the game. But the goal was to stop them, they got the penalty, and we stopped them.”

Starting at their own 24 with 2:22 left, Streator drove down the field with every pass, reception and run executed by seniors.

Weibel – 11-of-19 passing for 160 yards, two TDs and no interceptions on the night in addition to his 51 yards rushing – was spectacular in the clutch with 34 yards rushing and 47 passing on the drive. That included completions to fellow seniors Hagie (three receptions for 37 yards and TD on the night), Jordan Lukes (56 yards rushing, 32 more receiving on four catches), Williamson (three catches for 85 yards) and the game-winning 6-yarder on the left flat to Finley (34 combined yards with two TDS).

Reed-Custer – which led 7-6 at halftime and with its direct-snap offensive attack outgained the Bulldogs 390-295 in yards from scrimmage – received both its touchdowns on runs from Robinson. The senior had game-highs in both rushes (20 and rushing yardage (174), with teammate Jacob Reardon nearing a 100-yard rushing day himself with 93 yards on the ground in addition to his 46 through the air on 5-of-10 passing.

Alexander Rodriguez had two TFLs for Reed-Custer, while for Streator defensive standouts included Morton (two tackles for loss, forced fumble) and Kameron Magana (TFL, fumble recovery).