Cardinal conquers history

PACKWOOD - He has the best passer rating in Class 1A, but it was at a new football position on the other side of the ball where Maddux Jones helped Cardinal make a number of new entries into the Comets' history book.

The book already had 2020 entries for most points in a game from the 62-point season opener, then erased with 74 points Oct. 2. The book is not exact, but Cardinal coach Landon Miller said Friday's 38-29 Class 1A win was the first over Pekin since 1974 and the first playoff win ever or since 'maybe the 1980s.” The Comets' 5-3 record is the first winning season since a 6-4 mark in 2009. The average score in losses against Pekin in the last '20 or so years is 56-8. What we did here tonight hasn't been done in a long time.”

With the passing fancy Cardinal possesses, the offense made a difference, but the defense made the play of the game. The 10th play of a Pekin drive that started with 1 minute, 5 seconds left in the third quarter was first-and-goal at the 10. Pekin's counter trap was effective all night, but this one was fumbled and Jones returned it 90 yards for a touchdown and a 32-21 Cardinal lead.

Although that happened with 7:53 remaining in the game, it had its beginning during the week. Practice had energy that Miller hadn't seen yet this year and Jones was put at defensive end, although he had never played there before.

'We asked Maddux to play at D-end because we knew we did not have the guys on the line that Pekin has,” Miller said. ”The fumble recovery was massive, but he's a gamer, all my guys are gamers.”

'I had a weird feeling something was going to happen,” Jones said. 'I knew somebody had to do something, so I scooped and ran as hard as I could.”

The 11-point Cardinal lead lasted just 57 seconds. The Panthers used five plays to answer with a Michael Jones five-yard touchdown run and a great second effort by Colton Comstock on the conversion run made it 32-29.

Cardinal then drove to the Panthers 22, where Pekin's Blake Juhl recovered a fumble. Pekin's offense ran a reverse that was fumbled, then two incomplete passes and an unsuccessful fake punt gave Cardinal the ball at the same yard line it had lost possession.

'You could tell early, it would be a game of breaks,” Pekin head coach Brent Blakely said. 'Both teams went through some adversity and were on their heels. Our best defense was to keep their offense off the field.”

The next play secured victory.

'It was supposed to be a pass play, but I just saw a gap, so I hit it as hard as I could,” Jones said of his 22-yard touchdown run through the middle of the field for a 38-29 lead with 2:05 on the clock.

'I knew when I scored that one, we had it won,” Jones said. 'Before that, I never thought we had it, because anything can happen.”

Ian Liles preserved the triumph with an interception.

'Down two scores can be a dilemma for us with our style of play,” Blakely said. 'Too many penalties, too many mental mistakes, but my kids played hard, and that's all I can ask.”

Miller was effusive about his team's effort and dedication to building the program and Jones said the Comets' success came from many factors.

'Coach has pushed us since Day 1 in the summer about being a bigger and better team. The weight room, the work, the fans cheering, getting motivated, everything played into this win for us. Our seniors didn't want this to be their last game.”

The Comets will visit No. 3 Sigourney-Keota (7-0) in next week's second round.

The Comets scored in five plays the first time they had the ball with the key plays a Landon Becker 36-yard reception and a 4-yard touchdown catch by Christian Bowman.

Cael Baker's 11-yard TD run put the Panthers ahead, 7-6, but Griffin Greiner caught a short slant and wove through the Pekin defense for 57 yards and a 12-7 Cardinal lead as the first quarter expired. Pekin used the first 4:28 of the second to go 76 yards on 10 plays with a Comstock bootleg for a touchdown. It remained a 13-12 Panthers lead at halftime. The first three possessions of the second half were touchdowns and the fourth was the scoop and score by Jones.

Eight Comet plays in the first 2 minutes of the second half produced an 18-13 lead on Jones' TD run from the 7.

A classic Pekin drive went 70 yards on 11 plays with nary a third down until Cael Baker scored on third-and-goal from the 5 for a 21-18 lead with 3:43 to go in the third.

Cardinal used five plays to go 67 yards for a 24-21 lead at 1:09 remaing in the third. Greiner caught a 41-yard pass, an 8-yard pass and scored the TD shaking off tacklers on an end around from the 5.

The teams were to meet Sept. 11, but the game was canceled because of COVID-19.

Pekin ends an odd season with a 3-4 record.

'It's been the kind of year I don't want to have again,” Blakely said.

For Cardinal and Miller, 2020 is the kind of year it hasn't had in a long time.