'They got what they deserved': Richwoods triumphs over Peoria High, former teammates
· Yahoo Sports
PEORIA — Eli Carder proved to be the best quarterback on the field Friday at Peoria Stadium, where lightning brought an early end to the game and the Richwoods Knights delivered a shock to Peoria High School on the opening night of the 2026 high school football season.
Carder, the Knights junior quarterback, threw five touchdown passes to lead Richwoods to a 48-30 upset over Peoria High and give the Knights their first victory on the field over the Lions since Week 2 of 2017.
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Richwoods had a forfeit win in 2022 but Friday night's victory was earned on the field.
Carder and the Knights triumphed over three former teammates in starting quarterback Eli O’Donnell, Cole Merna and Jacob Merna, a trio that transferred out of Richwoods to Peoria High over the summer.
“They knew what we had and they transferred anyway,” Carder said. “They got what they deserved.”
O'Donnell made his debut for Peoria High against his former team and, on the first play of scrimmage in the 2026 season, threw an interception. He ended up throwing three interceptions – including a 98-yard pick-6 – in the opening quarter.
Peoria High replaced him with 5-foot-8, 145-pound sophomore quarterback Rahiem Pickett. He was third on the depth chart earlier in the preseason, with O’Donnell the starter and Damarion Taylor believed to be No. 2.
“I was thinking, ‘This is a chance for me to make a name for myself,’ ” Pickett said. “The (depth chart) changed during the game, I was standing there on the sideline, and they told me to get in there. I have great confidence in myself. I know I can do it.
“I wanted to get in there and perform for my team, for my coaches and teammates and everyone who has invested in me. I knew my reads, I knew what I was capable of doing.”
What do they do now?
O’Donnell was picked off on the first three series of the game. The second of those was an interception by Richwoods senior Kyen Curtis, and set up the Knights for a 28-yard TD run by Micah Hunt for the game’s first points.
O’Donnell threw a 98-yard pick-6 on the third possession, although the play was not really his fault. The pass looked on target, but it bounced off receiver Braylin Willis’ hands, and his mask, and settled into the arms of Austin Leverett. He took off down the left sideline for a 12-0 lead with 3:43 left in the first quarter.
Pickett took over after that.
“Surprised? For sure,” said Peoria High head coach Aaron Montgomery, of O’Donnell and his team. “Not what we expected at all. But practices and 7 on 7 are not Friday nights. (O’Donnell) is a great kid, he worked hard all summer and looked great and earned the starting spot. By no means are we down on him.”
Montgomery said he put Pickett into the game while holding off Taylor with the intention of testing the latter as a receiver.
“Pickett can make plays with his feet and his brain,” Montgomery said. “We’re talking about a sophomore, a kid who stepped into a big situation and came through. Maybe we have something there. We’ll reassess during the week.”
Peoria High battled back
Pickett rushed twice for 34 yards and tossed a 70-yard TD pass to Kewan Jordan in the second quarter to pull the Lions within 26-14 with 4:56 left.
He tossed a 35-yard TD pass to Kyiron Woodard to get the Lions within 26-22 with 8:59 left in the third quarter.
Then he ran 9 yards on a keeper for a TD to again cut a deficit to 33-30 with 5:02 left in the third quarter.
But Curtis intercepted Pickett late in the third quarter, and the Knights put together a nine-play drive capped by Carder’s 34-yard TD toss, while rolling left, to Josh Taylor for 40-30 with 67 seconds left in the quarter.
Peoria High never scored again.
“You can’t make these kind of mistakes we made and expect to win,” Montgomery said. “Penalties, pick-6s, mistakes that put strain on us. We couldn’t maintain momentum with mistakes happening.
“It’s back to the drawing board for us.”
Joy, misery and lightning
The game ended with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter and Richwoods leading, 48-30, when a storm moved in and brought lightning. After discussion between officials and coaching staffs, the game was ended.
Across the field, the Knights mobbed each other, celebrated while oblivious to the rain.
“We have always had faith in this team, I knew what this team could do,” Carder said. “This group was 7-2 at the JV level. We can play.”
There was so much to take in from this upset:
◾The 48 points allowed by Peoria High is its most since a 58-52 win over Morris in Week 3 of 2024.
◾The 48 points scored by Richwoods is its most since a 2022 win over Peoria Notre Dame.
◾The home opener loss was Peoria High’s first since a 40-14 decision to Rochester in 2023.
The shockwave washed up on the Peoria High sideline as the clock and the game stopped with 2:13 left and the handshake line formed.
Lions junior Tre Woods was inconsolable, pacing back and forth, tears streaming.
“We lost to Richwoods,” he said, lost in his emotions. “We lost to Richwoods, we lost to Richwoods.”
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and 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 [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'They got what they deserved': Richwoods triumphs over Peoria High, former teammates