Charles’ chance, finally
Smith’s long-delayed first start at QB results in win for Crete-Monee
Crete-Monee quarterback Charles Smith was more anxious than usual to play Saturday.
Smith didn’t play much last season as the backup to starter Trayvon Rudolph.
And then the Warriors’ Week 1 game on March 13 was canceled due to Thornwood facing COVID-19 restrictions, according to Crete-Monee coach John Konecki, delaying Smith’s debut as starter.
It turned out to be worth the wait.
Smith completed 11 of 19 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns to lead CreteMonee to a 57-14 victory over Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights.
“It felt awesome to be out here,” Smith said. “The offensive line executed their assignments and the defense did a great job. Everybody made plays.
“With everything that’s gone on, I wasn’t surprised we were able to succeed.”
Crete-Monee (1-0) forced five turnovers, including interceptions by Edward Clark, Ka’Ron Mines and Kyle West.
Mines turned his interception into a 27-yard TD that gave Crete-Monee a 36-0 lead in the second quarter.
Getting off to a fast start was part of the game plan.
“It was very important to jump on them right away,” Smith said. “We wanted to get some momentum going.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Smith has the look of a linebacker.
That is, until the football leaves his right hand.
He puts plenty of zip on his passes.
“He can throw a ball through a car wash and it won’t get wet,” Konecki said of Smith. “He has a really strong arm. He can throw the ball vertically, but he also can throw it sideline to sideline. He can stretch out a defense, that’s for sure.”
Besides the power behind his throws, Konecki pointed out how Smith has another unique skill.
“Charles plays baseball and it allows him to throw the football at different arm slots,” Konecki said. “He can drop down three-quarters or even sidearm to make a throw. Plus, he’s a smart young man. A leader.”
Smith threw a 15-yard TD pass to Jameel Biloche and a 31-yard TD to Jamari Cobbins in the first half.
Lynel Billups-Williams had TD runs of 23 and 13 yards, Joshua Franklin added a 2-yard TD run, Terry Elias had a 1-yard TD run and Bryce Bennett blocked and recovered a punt for another TD.
Crete-Monee linebacker Ray Arebalo said Smith is the complete package.
“He’s got the arm, and he’s a big kid,” Arebalo said. “I’ve seen him tuck the ball and run. He’s tough to bring down.”
Smith said he learned a lot last season from watching Rudolph, who’s now a receiver for Northern Illinois, direct the offense.
“We have different styles, but I was able to see how he made plays when things broke down,” Smith said. “I have a lot of confidence in my passing. I like it when coach calls for a pass play.”
It was a rough day for Marian Catholic (0-2), which committed five turnovers. Much of the struggles could be attributed to CreteMonee’s dominance on the defensive line.
The Spartans received a 70-yard TD run by running back Tajheem Lawson, a Northern Illinois recruit, and a 24-yard TD pass from Kyle Thomas to Zion Horn.
“We had too many penalties, which is inexcusable, and we turned the ball over,” Marian Catholic coach Erick Middleton said. “There are a lot of mental things we need to clean up. We’re going to get back at it.
“Crete-Monee is a very good program. They have size, speed and strength and they’re big. We’ll learn from this. We’ll be OK.”