Reed-Custer scores 41 second-quarter points in 73-14 win over Streator

BRAIDWOOD – The Reed-Custer football team scored on its first seven possessions, including exploding for 41 points in the second quarter against Streator on the way to a 73-14 Illinois Central Eight Conference victory Friday night at Comet Stadium.

Comets quarterback Jake McPherson finished 14-of-18 passing for 220 yards and four touchdowns, while Jace Christian rushed five times for 125 yards and a pair of scores to help the AP No. 2-ranked squad improve to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in ICE play.

“I wanted to see us get off to a good start, especially after such a big win last week,” Reed-Custer head coach Gavin Johnston said. “Last week we had like over 2,000 people here against Wilmington, and there obviously was a ton of energy, but tonight with a smaller crowd we needed to create our own energy, and I thought we did that.”

The hosts forced a three-and-out on the opening possession of the game and then drove 73 yards in eight plays ending in McPherson hitting Peyton Bradley for a 38-yard touchdown with Lucas Foote’s two-point run making it 8-0.

On the drive, McPherson completed all five of his passes to five different receivers.

“We wanted to get McPerson going early tonight, and overall we probably threw the ball more than normal than we had in the first six games,” Johnston said. “We were also looking to get the ball in the passing game to more than just Lucas. We wanted to spread the ball around and I thought Jake did an excellent job of that. We feel like all of our receivers can make plays, but we wanted to give them that opportunity tonight.”

After another Bulldogs punt, Connor Esparza scored on an 11-yard run to make it 16-0.

Streator then completed a 12-play, 65-yard drive with quarterback Christian Benning, who broke the all-time passing yardage mark in Streator history in the second quarter, going the final yard. The 2-point pass failed, and it was 16-6.

Reed-Custer then erupted in the second quarter as McPherson hit Foote for touchdowns of 13 and 35 and Brandon Moorman for a 51-yard score before Christian scored on runs of 57 and 3 before returning a fumble 30 yards for another touchdown.

Streator’s lone highlight in the second quarter was a 99-yard touchdown pass from Benning to Aneefy Ford, who finished with seven receptions and 166 yards.

Benning finished 15 of 31 for 242 yards giving him 2,454 career yards, topping 2017 graduate John Benckendorf (2,239).

“We had some dropped passes early, and we needed to capitalize on every chance we had. We just weren’t able to do that,” said Streator head coach Kyle Tutt, whose team is 2-5 (1-4 in ICE play) and on a four-game skid. “We did some good things overall, but when you are not consistent with those good things and have multiple mistakes a really good team like Reed-Custer, they are going to put it on you. That’s what they did tonight.

“We continued to fight until the very end and our morale stayed strong. They were still giving it all they had no matter what the scoreboard said and you hope as a coach that fight will eventually get things turned around at some point.

“Reed-Custer is a very good team that is going to go a long way in the playoffs.”

The Comets also recorded rushing TDs in the running-clock second half from Zack Cieslak and Colin Esparza (six carries, 103 yards).

Reed-Custer, which had 19 plays cover 10 yards or more, also dominated the stat sheet, leading in first downs 22-12 and total yards 566-298, including 346 yards on 23 carries for a 15-yard average.

It was the most points allowed in a game by a Streator team since a 72-8 loss to St. Bede in 1971.

Next: Streator hosts Wilmington and Reed-Custer is at Coal City.