Dion Earls Jr. has been making big offensive plays for Simeon lately. But on Friday night at Gately Stadium, Timon Watkins stepped into the spotlight.
Watkins, a senior quarterback, threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score as Simeon beat Dunbar 42-8 in a Chicago Public League Illini Red Bird matchup. The victory was No. 20 Simeon’s sixth in a row and clinched a playoff berth and a share of the conference championship.
“I say we’re hot, but we got more work to do,” Watkins said.
Watkins hit Jordan Reid (32 yards), Earls Jr. (53 yards) and Matt Fleming (17 yards) for touchdowns, and ran 60 yards for another scored with just under a minute before halftime as the Wolverines (6-1, 4-0) took a 26-8 lead.
“It was a good job by the offensive line, giving me enough time, and our receivers ran their routes great and precise,” Watkins said.
Dunbar scored first on a 2-yard run by quarterback Demoria Harris early in the first quarter. The Mighty Men added a safety midway through the second quarter when a Wolverines snap sailed over the punter’s head and through the end zone.
After Dunbar (3-4, 2-2) gained 112 yards on its first two possessions, Simeon’s defense held it to three first downs for the rest of the game.
“The defense, they’re always going to be good, they push us in practice,” Watkins said. “So I wasn’t worried about it. I knew they were going to get it together.”
Player of the game: Timon Watkins, Simeon, 5-for-10, 115 yards, 3 TDs; 5 carries, 128 yards, TD.
Key performers: Simeon — Dion Earls Jr., 1 catch, 53 yards, TD; Matt Fleming, 2 catches, 56 yards, 2 TDs. Dunbar — Demoria Harris, 15 carries, 61 yards, TD.