Crete-Monee junior Ronald Carroll Jr. has been a reliable contributor this season, but he took it to another level Friday night.
A coming-out-party level.
Pinch-hitting at quarterback, Carroll ran wild for the Warriors in a 61-25 Southland Athletic victory over visiting Rich Central.
Carroll rushed 24 times for 202 yards and six touchdowns for Crete (3-3, 3-0).
Going into the game he had one.
“It felt good,” Carroll said. “At first I was kind of nervous taking the job at quarterback. But I guess I had to step up for my team and get us the ‘W.’”
Jamal Safo, Amari Venerable and Kavon Jones also ran in TDs for Crete.
Vincent Brown threw for three TDs and ran in another for Rich Central (3-3, 2-1).
Carroll stepped in for junior quarterback Trayvon Rudolph, who through five weeks had thrown for 586 yards and rushed for 288 more.
“Trayvon is ill,” Warriors coach John Konecki said. “It was the latter part of the week. We knew we had to go deep in the playbook and we did.”
Crete-Monee didn’t miss a beat.
Safo got the ball rolling on the Warriors’ second play from scrimmage, rushing 60 yards for a TD.
“It was pretty big to start that way,” Safo said. “As soon as I saw the hole I tried to get through it and get my speed.”
The show on this night, however, belonged to the 6-foot, 190-pound Carroll. He rushed for TDs of 39, 3, 3, 6, 6 and 34 yards and also had an interception.
“We knew that Ronald had the ability to be a big player for us,” Konecki said. “He plays excellent defense at safety and he’s played some quarterback previously in our program. He played amazing football.
“He’s really a very good football player and he’s a guy who has done everything we’ve asked for in the program.”
Carroll didn’t throw a pass. Williams Evans Jr. also took some snaps at quarterback and threw for 31 yards.
Mostly, however, Carroll did the damage by taking snaps and just winging it.
“I tried my best,” Carroll said. “The offensive line did a nice job opening up some holes.”
The win brought the Warriors back to .500 for the season after an 0-3 start.
“We have to step up,” Carroll said. “We were told that if we didn’t we’d be the first team not to make the playoffs in 13 years. We don’t want that to happen.”
