'Out-ran and out-played': Why one Metamora football lineman circled Pekin on the schedule
METAMORA — A year ago, Pekin did some scoreboard celebrating after beating Metamora.
Redbirds offensive guard Ty Dykes and his ground-and-pound crew never forgot as they dominated Pekin across the board Friday in a rematch at Malone Field.
Metamora ran 37 times for 320 yards and six touchdowns on the way to a 48-14 victory.
"Keep wearing on them, keep wearing on them," Metamora coach Jared Grebner yelled out to his offense during the third quarter, as it plowed down the field for a 27-0 lead.
"They beat us bad last year, really bad," said the 6-foot, 235-pound Dykes, the heart and soul of the Metamora line. "When it was over, they gathered around their scoreboard and took pictures of the score. I was thinking about that all week, especially today leading up to the game."
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Dykes, at right guard, led an offensive line that included Boston Cox, Landon Cowper, Kaden Keefer and Alex Lehn. They helped junior running back Evan Keil to 160 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 24 carries. And fellow running back Jaiduan Cranford had 145 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries.
"We couldn't have done it without them," Keil said. "We out-ran and out-played that team."
Keil started playing football in JFL as a fourth-grader. A center on a high school hockey team that draws players from Metamora, Washington, Morton and East Peoria, he wouldn't have been playing football Friday if not for Dykes.
"I wasn't going to play football when we reached ninth grade," Keil said. "He wouldn't let me give up on it. He made me play."
In the fourth quarter, Metamora held a 34-0 lead. Pekin got an 80-yard touchdown run from Alijah Hart and a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown from Ramez Watson.
The Redbirds answered in between those scores with a 42-yard TD run from Cranford for a 41-7 lead, and then Keil for 5, Keil for 8, Keil for 4, Keil for 5 … 10 straight times, Keil gashing Pekin behind the ground-and-pound boys up front.
Ten times and 55 yards later, he was in the end zone for an 8-yard TD and an exclamation point 48-7 lead with 69 seconds left in the game.
"They scored, and we just wanted to run it down their throats even more," Keil said.
A line held together by Dykes
Ty Dykes actually lived in Washington for a while and played JFL football there. He was always a defensive end — a role from which he delivered a sack in Friday's game.
On the offensive side of the line, the pulling guard delivered knockout blocks to the Pekin defenders.
"My dad and uncles played here in Metamora, most of them were linebackers and safeties," Dykes said. "I grew up watching games here, dreaming about playing here. My dad kept in touch with (legendary Metamora coach) Pat Ryan, and in fifth grade we moved back here."
He went on to play baseball, as a catcher and third baseman. And he'll wrestle in the heavyweight class at Metamora this year.
But on a football field, he's always known who he is.
"I've been a guard/defensive end ever since I moved back here," he said. "And I love the offensive line with all my heart."
How 48-14 happened
The Redbirds staged their annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony between the JV and varsity games. The individual inductees included James Dishroom, Brad Todden, Rick Alvis and Brad Wood — all former players — plus longtime coach and Malone Field caretaker Curt Ryan.
Then 48-14 started off with a touchdown on the very first snap of the game, a 79-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Nick Rhoades to senior receiver Conner Bidne.
Keil scored on a 15-yard run on the second play of the second quarter and it was 14-0.
Cranford picked off a pass down the right sideline to get the ball back, and Metamora cashed in with a 6-yard TD run from Keil for 20-0 midway through the second quarter. Cranford capped off a seven-play 48-yard drive to a 27-0 lead with an 8-yard TD run with 7:26 left in the third quarter.
Through three quarters, Pekin's leading rusher was Hart, with 12 yards on 13 carries. He recovered to put up 104 in the fourth quarter — mostly on that 80-yard run up the middle.
Metamora added a 12-yard TD run from Cranford on the first play of the fourth quarter for 34-0. Then a cutback 42-yard TD run by Cranford for 41-7 with 10:20 left.
Keil's 10 straight runs followed, marching Metamora 55 yards to a 48-7 lead with 1:09 remaining.
When it was over, Pekin had 154 yards on 43 plays. Metamora had 453 yards on 45.
Pekin slipped to 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the Mid-Illini Conference. Metamora rose to 4-2 (2-2).
"We wanted to shut them out of the playoffs," Dykes said. "And I think we did."
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football: Metamora dominates Pekin to avenge blowout loss
