After Metamora football domination, a longtime playoff rival awaits

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METAMORA — The Metamora Redbirds had 99 players dressed on their sideline, while Chicago South Shore had 33 and little hope Saturday.

The numbers proved to be just as one-sided on the field, as the Redbirds rolled to a 62-14 victory at Malone Field in the first round of the IHSA Class 4A playoffs.

It was 32-0 after a first quarter in which Metamora ran nine plays. It was 54-8 at halftime. The Redbirds reserves were in the game by early in the second quarter.

“I think it was a little bit of shock and awe for (South Shore) when they look over there and see 99 guys and they have 33,” Metamora coach Nick Delinski said. “We ran out of uniform numbers. Filled them all. But that’s a program that is trying to build itself, and make some progress.

“I think we kind of knew pretty early on what we could do.”

What they did was run senior running back Jaiduan Cranford eight times for 125 yards and two touchdowns in little more than the first quarter plus one series.

On to Morris, a longtime playoff rival, whose coaches were at the game, among the 29 spectators in the South Shore grandstand.

Not only will the Redbirds face them at 3 p.m. Saturday in the second round, but they’ll be playing against their own history as a team that has not reached the quarterfinals since 2016.

This story will be updated.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football playoffs: Metamora rolls Chicago South Shore. Morris next

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