Lions’ run grounded in semifinals

LENA, Ill. — Trying to evoke memories of its storied past, Leo failed to sustain a dominant running game that put the team on the threshold of playing for a state title.

Lena-Winslow scored on six of its first seven possessions and subdued a late Lions rally for a 45-22 Class 1A semifinal victory on Saturday afternoon.

Leo won a state playoff game for the first time since 1992 and defeated two No. 1-seeded teams in its run.

The Lions averaged 279 yards on the ground against their three previous playoff opponents and attempted only 18 passes in that span. By contrast, Leo’s Latrell Giles threw 27 passes on Saturday, completing seven.

The Panthers neutralized the Lions’ size advantage with quickness and a series of blitz packages. Leo managed just 37 yards rushing.

The Lions had no answer for Panthers’ senior running back Tyler Oakley, who ran for 304 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns. He scored on touchdown runs of 77 and 76 yards as Lena-Winslow built a commanding 38-0 advantage late in the third quarter. Oakley later added a nine-yard touchdown run.

Leo’s Riley McClendon-Gray (five catches, 198 yards) almost single-handedly kept the Lions in the game. He hauled in three touchdowns passes from Giles over the final 10:17.

McClendon-Gray said it was important to end on the right note.

“We never stopped playing, and we never quit,” he said. “I just wanted to do what I could to help us.”