| Cahokia QB plays his heart out after personal loss; lifts team to victory over Raiders |
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BY STEVE KORTE - News-Democrat
Dealing with the death of his stepfather earlier this week, Cahokia quarterback Patrick Ivy took a cue from his hard hat-wearing coach and got the job done.
Ivy completed 13 of 22 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Comanches past the East Peoria Raiders 30-0 Saturday in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Ivy also had a 1-yard touchdown run.
"I was kind of worried about my quarterback and his little brother (sophomore wide receiver-linebacker Lamontiez Ivy) because they lost their stepfather on Thursday night," Cahokia coach Antwyne Golliday said. "I didn't know what to expect with them because they didn't show yesterday, which was understandable. I didn't know if they were going to be here today, so I worked another offense just in case.
"They stepped up pretty good under the circumstances with losing a loved one. Ivy played his heart out today."
Golliday, whose trademark is the white hard that he wears on the sideline, said he could empathize with Ivy.
"I lost my uncle the other day, and with the funeral arrangements, I might not make it to the game next week," Golliday said. "It's just part of life. You take what the good Lord gives you."
Both of Ivy's touchdown passes came in the second half as the Comanches built on a 14-0 halftime advantage.
Ivy threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Gates on the first play of the fourth quarter and a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Hunt with 4:52 left in the game.
Hunt had eight catches for 99 yards in the game.
"We had a big help from our line today, and our quarterback, he was coming back off some emotional stuff," Hunt said. "We're all about heart. We have no limits. Four more wins, and we're state champs. That's our goal."
The Comanches (9-1) will play the Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers (8-2) next week at Cahokia High School.
The Raiders ended their season at 6-4.
The Raiders were able to limit Cahokia's big plays. The Comanches' longest pass was 29 yards and their longest run was 15 yards on a fake punt by Hunt.
"That speed on both sides of the ball," East Peoria coach Doug Martin said of the difference in the game. "We have some great kids, kids who have put their heart and soul into this, but it's hard to play against, it's hard to coach against speed. And, in the end, I thought the defense played tremendous, but if you give them enough opportunities, they're going to get one, their going to get a couple eventually."
East Peoria quarterback Andrew Wallace suffered a concussion in the first half.
Senior receiver Shane Moses replaced Wallace at the start of the second half, and became the focal point of the Raiders' offense.
Moses carried the ball on 19 of the Raiders' first 24 plays of the second half.
"That kid may be pound-for-pound the best player in our program," Martin said of 6-foot, 165-pound Moses. "He's as tough as nails, and we haven't (practiced) him a lot at quarterback. He's a kid that you just trust."
The Raiders marched the ball to the Cahokia 6 in the closing seconds, but failed to get into the end zone on two plays before time ran out.
The shutout was the fourth for the Comanches this season.
"Defense has been my strong point all year," Golliday said. "I keep telling people, 'Believe it or not, we work more defense than offense because I figure if you can't score, you can't win."'
The Comanches took almost seven minutes off the clock on their opening drive, which stalled at the East Peoria 8.
The Comanches reached the end zone on their second possession, moving the ball 57 yards on eight plays.
Ivy ran into the end zone on a keeper from 1 yard out on fourth-and-goal with 11:30 left in the second quarter.
The Comanches got the ball at the East Peoria 20 after forcing the Raiders to punt from their end zone.
Joe Grinston ran 9 yards and then 11 yards around the right side to put the Comanches ahead 14-0.
Despite having only three first downs in the first half, the Raiders trailed only 14-0.
The Raiders came up less than a yard short of a first down on a fourth-and-five run by Moses just inside Cahokia territory on the opening drive of the second half.
Hunt ran for the 2-point conversion after each of Ivy's touchdown passes in the second half.
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