How would Manteno football coach RJ Haines describe the end of the Panthers’ 25-20 win at Peotone in Friday night’s latest installation of the Rumble on Route 50?

“It was chaotic,” Haines said.

Chaotic may even be an understatement.

After falling behind 20-19 with 4:24 remaining, senior quarterback Connor Harrod’s fourth total touchdown of the night came on a 40-yard strike to Jake Stevens.

And after Peotone promptly marched down the field, Nick Honkisz’s sack on a 4th-and-goal from the 6-yard line at the buzzer allowed the Panthers a 25-20 win in an instant classic.

The Panthers now sit in great postseason position at 5-3 and 2-3 in the Illinois Central Eight Conference while the Blue Devils (3-5, 2-4) saw their playoff hopes all but evaporate.

“I think I’ll remember that game for the rest of my life,” Harrod said. “That was my favorite game. It was fun from quarter one through quarter four. We knew they were playing for a lot, we knew that they usually play us tough and that they’re a good football team. They showed some heart, but I’m glad we were able to pull through.”

The Panthers took a 13-0 lead to the halftime on a pair of Harrod rushing touchdowns, including a 1-yarder on 4th-and-goal with 2.2 seconds left in the second quarter. After a sluggish first half saw them total just 17 yards of offense, the Blue Devils opened the second half with an 11-play, 62-yard drive that Eli Chenoweth capped off with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 13-7 halfway through the third.

Manteno promptly responded six plays later when Harrod faked a handoff and flung a bomb to speedster Tyler Buehler, whose 54-yard touchdown catch made it a 19-7 game with 3:03 left in the third.

But the Blue Devils kept themselves in it with a home run of their own off of play action, Alex Chenoweth’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cronin to cut the Peotone deficit to 19-14 30 seconds into the fourth quarter.

A surprise onside kick caught Stevens off guard, allowing the Blue Devils to recover at Manteno’s 48-yard line. Six plays later, Alex Chenoweth’s deep pass down the right sideline was intercepted by David Asher. As he broke free on a return near midfield, Asher had the ball stripped from him, recovered by Peotone’s Omero Isais at the Manteno 40.

Asher suffered an arm/wrist injury on the play, and the game was stopped for several minutes as an ambulance was called. Asher was eventually able to walk to a stretcher under his own power to be taken for further evaluation.

“I feel terrible for David, he busted his butt all game,” Haines said. “He’s a sophomore that we brought up and he’s a phenomenal football player and even better kid. It’s just unfortunate that that happened, an occupational hazard of the game. But I’m sure when David finds out we won, that will put a smile on his face.”

Seven plays after the Blue Devils regained possession, Tucker Cain’s 19-yard touchdown put the Blue Devils ahead for the first time all game.

Setting up shop on their own 28 with 4:21 left, the Panthers quickly got to the Peotone 34 after a 15-yard penalty on the Blue Devils. After Harrod was stopped for a 6-yard loss on a rushing attempt, the third-year starter rolled to his right, locked eyes with Stevens, who had a step on his defender and hauled in the go-ahead score.

“I didn’t think I would get it because I’m the last option on that play, but then we made eye contact and I was like, ‘yeah, (Harrod’s) throwing it to me. He’s flinging it,’”Stevens said. " ... I’m like, ‘oh, crap’ I’m getting this ball and I’ve got to make a play.’ And I did."

The Blue Devils wasted no time driving deep into Manteno territory, ripping off four plays of 10 yards or more after getting the ball back at their own 26 with 2:29 left, including a 10-yard scramble by Alex Chenoweth to set up a 1st-and-goal with under a minute left.

After a short pass to Tyler Walker lost two yards, Cronin got them back on a quick catch of his own before Alex Chenoweth ran for four yards to set up a 4th-and-goal from the 6-yard line with 2.2 seconds remaining.

A blitzing Honkisz came busting in and chased Alex Chenoweth down for a sack that wrapped up back-to-back wins for Manteno in its rivalry with Peotone for the first time in nine years.

“I was there, I was just trying to make a play,” Honkisz said. “The hole opened up, Franklin Jordan rushed him out to me and I just made a play. I called game.”

Harrod, who finished the game 10-of-17 passing for 222 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and added 20 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns, said that the resolve his team showed Friday is representative of their season.

“There’s been hard times throughout the year, we’ve been injured, but this team continues to fight and never give up,” Harrod said. “That’s what I’ll remember about my senior year.”

Kalub Jankuski had seven catches for 86 yards while Honkisz ran for 35 yards on 10 carries in addition to his win-sealing sack.

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Manteno's Tommy Lawlor celebrates as he wears the Rumble on Route 50 helmet following the Panthers' 25-20 victory over Peotone on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in the annual rivalry game. (Tiffany Blanchette)

For Peotone, Alex Chenoweth was 11-of-17 passing for 138 yards and an interception. On the final drive, he was 7-of-10 for 54 yards. He also ran for 32 yards. Nick Cronin had a team-high 72 rushing yards on 21 carries.

While the Panthers will be playing for playoff positioning when they host Streator in Week 9, the Blue Devils will be playing for pride and the most outside of playoff chances when they visit Herscher.

“I’m proud of the kids of how the battled back in the second half, not very happy with how we played in the first half,” Peotone coach Tolly Tsiamas said. “It’s a big rivalry game and we were kind of just going through the motions. We’re not good enough to overcome that, they’re too good of a football team.”