Super 25 football countdown: No 18 Crete-Monee

Updated: August 7, 2012 3:42PM

Crete-Monee has beefed up its football resume considerably in recent seasons.

Under coach Jerry Verde, the Warriors have won six IHSA playoff games – after managing just just one postseason victory previously – and have twice reached the state quarterfinals. Last year, Crete put up its first perfect regular season since 1952.

But the prevailing feeling is not satisfaction, but hunger after getting knocked out in the Class 6A playoffs with a second-round loss to Peoria Richwoods.

“The undefeated [regular] season was great, but I think we can do more this year,” senior wide receiver Laquon Treadwell said.

Whatever the Warriors – who are No. 18 in the Sun-Times’ preseason Super 25 – achieve this year, Treadwell figures to play a starring role.

The 6-foot-3, 183-pounder is the state’s top uncommitted prospect in the Class of 2013 and one of the best in the nation. His 21 offers read like a roll call of the top college programs: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Auburn, USC and UCLA, among many others.

Treadwell is coming off a monster junior season – 75 catches, 1,391 yards, 18 touchdowns – and the four-star recruit could be even better this fall.

“My strength is built up,” he said. “And my route running is much better. I’ve been to a couple camps where they’ve shown me how to do different techniques getting off the line.”

Treadwell is hardly the only playmaker for the Warriors’ offense. Also back are quarterback Marcus Terrell (2,822 yards, 29 TDs) and receiver Lance Lenoir (48 catches, 625 yards, 3 TDs).

Verde was impressed with Terrell’s growth last season: “We wanted to ‘Kyle Orton’ the offense. He turned into a much different kid, a different player. He started making things happen.”

Hoping to make the skill position players’ jobs easier will be a big line anchored by 6-3, 290-pound Austin Rosenfeldt, who has interest from Illinois and Iowa among others, along with Jim Walsh (6-4, 250) and Josh McCaskill (6-2, 280).

The Warriors also have some big-time prospects on defense, including junior linebacker Nyles Morgan (6-2, 220), who has offers from Illinois, Notre Dame, Purdue and Vanderbilt, and defensive back Jaylen Dunlap (6-1, 180), who has caught the attention of Northern Illinois among others.

“Our senior leadership is pretty darn solid,” Verde said. “We’ve got a lot of kids with some really good experience.”

The hope is that experience helps the Warriors add a few more lines to that already solid resume.

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