'Man, we had a blast': Peoria High celebrates its state finalist football team
PEORIA — Teammates temporarily, but brothers for life.
Messages of love, admiration and thankfulness for the Peoria High football team filled the high school gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. The community and its leaders gathered to celebrate the success of the Lions run to the Class 5A state championship game.
“I wish we came back with a state championship trophy,” senior Landon Newby-Holesome said, “but we really worked our tails off for what we got, and we got a piece of hardware for all that work we put it in.”
With 24 seniors on the roster, many had played their last snap in Saturday’s 45-44 loss to LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy in the title game. Two seniors, in particular, have completed their football journey that began back in JFL.
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Newby-Holesome and Ricky Hearn have played together as long as they can remember.
But the pair are more than just the starting fullback and wide receiver, but close friends. Whether it’s workouts, hitting the weight room or just spending time together outside of football, the duo has been nearly inseparable the last four years.
“He’s literally my brother,” he said. “I feel like my mom had him. Just the bond we have.”
No one cheered harder for Hearn, who wore a cast on his left hand after breaking a bone in this wrist two weeks before the season started, when his pair of kickoff returns set Peoria High up in great field position and led to touchdowns.
He finished with a 147 return yards including a long return of 78 yards late in the fourth quarter.
“For him to be playing with one hand this year is amazing,” Newby-Holesome said. “How do you even catch a kickoff with one hand?”
Hearn is equally complimentary of Newby-Holesome’s game. When not on offense together, Hearn gets a good look at what Newby-Holesome can do on the defensive line.
However, what he watches his friend do is nothing new.
“I would say it was a different feeling (in the state championship),” Hearn said, “but I’ve been seeing it for so long, it’s just normal now.”
When it was time for Tim Thornton to make the microphone, he gave his players and coaches their just due, talking about what they had achieved and the work it took. More than anything, the Peoria High coach was grateful for the time spent with the team.
More:Peoria High football comes up just short of Class 5A state championship
Memories, he stressed, of team meals, long bus rides and being a part of something as special as the 2022 season are what Thornton was going to take with him.
“Man, we had a blast,” he said.
As the position coaches told stories about each individual player, the sense of disappointment surrounding the team seemed to slowly disappear. Laughs, handshakes and hugs were shared all around.
The city was proud of its pride.
“Even though we didn’t come out with the outcome we really wanted,” Hearn said. “The city still showed up and supported us and showed a lot of love for us.
“We just really appreciate it.”
All in one place: Every story from Peoria High's run to the Class 5A football championship game
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football: Peoria High shares memories at team celebration
