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Washington Evening Journal
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Pekin football team stays perfect
Adam, Panthers dominate in revenge game against Columbus
PACKWOOD - It seems like nothing can slow down the Pekin Panthers, including one team that had done it in each of the last three years.
Columbus went into Packwood having beaten Pekin handily in each of the last three years, but it was all Panthers on Friday night. Pekin put togther its fourth dominant performance, beating Columbus 48-0.
“It’s definitely the hunger,” said junior quarterback Will Adam. “We want it so bad.”
Adam and his teammates certainly proved that again, but the Wildcats did make the Panthers wait. Pekin’s lead was just 6-0 with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half, as Columbus had used a strong run game and a stout defense to stick right with the 10th-ranked Pekin squad.
Adam, who found the end zone on a 17-yard run early in the second period, used his arm for score number two. He hit Alijah Brock on a 53-yard strike, and the Panthers were up 14-0 after the two-point conversion.
On the ensuing Columbus possession, Nolan Glick got his hands on a Wildcat punt, sending the ball into the air, and then into the hands, of Adam. Adam then turned up the right side of the field for a 45-yard score, and all of the sudden, it was 21-0 Pekin, with 49.3 seconds remaining.
Amazingly, the Panthers figured out a way to score two more times before those 49.3 seconds were up.
First, Pekin got the ball back on a three-and-out, giving themselves another chance to put points on the board. Adam hit Brock on two-straight passes, the second of which went into the end zone with 6.4 seconds remaining.
Trailing 28-0, Columbus attempted a Hail Mary pass as time expired in the second quarter. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it went right into the hands of Adam, who scrambled all the way around the field, going sideline-to-sideline for a 70-yard pick six, making it 35-0 at the half.
Adam found the end zone once in the second half, and Riley Smith scored once as well, as Pekin closed out their fourth game in a row with a running clock.
“It’s so special, because they lost about by the same score as tonight when they were freshmen, and we gave up 56 to them last year,” said Pekin head coach Klynt Weber. “It’s just cool to seee it come together. It’s a testament to all the work they’ve done.”
Adam threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns, while lso running for 34 yards and two scores. Glick went for 45 yards on the ground. Smith ran for 40 and a score, and Henry Adam rushed one time for 31 yards.
Brock had a big night in the receiving game. He caught three passes for 104 yards and two scores. Glick caught three passes, and Robert Brown caught one.
Defensively for Pekin, Henry Adam led the wya with 13.5 tackles. Will Adam had two interceptions, and Kasey Davis recovered a pair of fumbles.
Columbus’ Riley Kaalberg ran for 84 yards. Trevor Phillips threw for 25, and Angel Venzor led the team in receiving, catching two passes for 12 yards.
Defensively, Sachiel Villagrana had the only takeaway for Columbus, picking a ball off in the first quarter.
Columbus fell to 1-3 overall with the loss. The Wildcats will host Highland (2-2) this Friday.
Pekin (4-0) will take on another ranked team, in currently No. 6 Lisbon (4-0) this Friday. Both teams come into that game 3-0 in district play.
“I guess next week is the game to decide who’s in the driver’s seat,” Weber said.
