When the mud was washed out of the football gear from a wet weekend of high school football, Dunlap had risen alone to the top of the Mid Illini Conference standings, while Peoria High had fallen from the unbeaten ranks in the Big 12.
Torrential, record rain on Friday postponed the majority of week 5 action on the field. Our Super Nutrition Red Zone Game of the Week, in its 9th season, was to be the face off for first in the Mid Illini between Dunlap and Metamora. Trying to squeeze the game in between storm fronts, the kick time was moved up to 6p originally. Then, it was moved to Saturday afternoon, which we could not accommodate due to contractual commitments to our advertisers. The couple of times a postponement to Saturday happened in the past occurred in the playoffs, and we were able to push and move around ads to make it work. End of the month, sold-out conditions made that switch untenable this time.
So, the Red Zone team was free to watch the key Saturday games like you, the fan. Peoria High could not slow down the Normal West offensive juggernaut, featuring a handful of huge, fast skill position players at quarterback and receiver positions, most of whom will be playing at some level of college football.
At rain-soaked Malone Field, Metamora and Dunlap played three quarters of scoreless, sloppy football. The 4th quarter was a thriller, though, as Dunlap came from behind to win, 10-7, on a last-second field goal by Matt McQuellon, improving to 3-0 in conference, the lone unbeaten in MI play.
Metamora plays rival Morton Friday night at Carper Field, where the Peoria High-Normal West game was held last Saturday. With my color analyst Tony Johnson out of state for Cat work, former Peoria Journal Star sports writer Aaron Ferguson will fill in that role again. Tom Meredith, who’s called three Washington games already this year in our secondary game slot, will see the Panthers, coming off a 2-touchdown win over Morton last weekend, play at Pekin, which has won 2 straight MI games.
The Super Nutrition Red Zone Game of the Week is presented by Heartland Apartments, Starcrest Cleaners and Brickhouse BBQ, with supporting sponsors: Suiting Up and Peoria Motors. Tune in to the radio on 95.5, GLO, online at this website, 955glo.com and by phone by downloading the free GLO station app.
Doc Watson
