CHATHAM – Christopher Bennett, Jr. scored four touchdowns – two by running, and two by passing – while TaRyan Martin scored twice, and quarterback Kendrick Lyons threw for four scores as East St. Louis ran riot in the second half and defeated Chatham Glenwood 58-14 in the IHSA Class 6A football quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at Glenwood’s stadium.
The Flyers are now 11-1, and advance to a home semifinal game next Saturday at 2 p.m., against Oak Lawn Richards, who defeated Kankakee 21-20, at Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium. The Titans’ season ends at 9-3.
East Side jumped to an early 7-0 lead when Bennett caught a three-yard pass from Lyons on their first possession, but the Titans tied the game in the second quarter on a 16-yard touchdown pass early in the period. Bennett then scored twice to give the Flyers the lead for good, running in from 27 yards, and catching a 20-yard toss from Lyons to give East Side a 20-7 lead at the half.
Larevious “Fresh” Woods ran in from 10 yards out to increase the Flyers’ lead to 26-7, with Glenwood countering with a three-yard touchdown run to make it 26-14 with 6:40 left in the third. After that, it was all East St. Louis, as Bennett ran in from 80 yards, Martin ran for his first touchdown from nine yards out, and Kortez Rupert caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Lyons to increase the lead to 45-14 after the third quarter,
In the fourth, Martin ran in from 27 yards away, and Rupert caught another 46-yard touchdown pass from Lyons to make the final score 58-14.
Should the Flyers win their semifinal game next Saturday, they will advance to the final once again, against either defending champion Cary Grove, who won over Belvidere North 42-7, or Geneva, who took a 49-14 win over Lake Forest. That semifinal game will be played next Saturday at 1 p.m., with the final played on Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. at Hancock Stadium, at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal.
