Right on the nose: James Kwiecinski runs for 116 yards and 2 TDs as Lincoln-Way East tops Crete-Monee. ‘I came out mad.’

Lincoln-Way East’s James Kwiecinski smelled blood.

Literally.

The senior running back took an elbow to the nose toward the end of the first quarter Friday night at Crete-Monee.

“I came out mad and came out fighting,” he said.

And so did his teammates. The Griffins, ranked No. 3 in the state by The Associated Press in Class 8A, rolled to a 41-15 nonconference victory over the Warriors in the season opener.

Kwiecinski finished with 23 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He added a two-point conversion and a 32-yard reception for Lincoln-Way East (1-0).

Before the bloody nose, Kwiecinski had six carries for 10 yards. But when he returned in the second quarter, he erupted for 75 yards on 10 carries as the Griffins grabbed a 21-7 halftime lead.

Lincoln-Way East has many of same players back from a team that went 9-3 last season, but the Griffins gained from that experience, according to senior running back Petey Olaleye.

“It feels so much more real this year,” Olaleye said. “We played with each other a whole lot last year and we’re looking for a big senior year.

“We’re the same team and we’re getting after it for sure,” Kwiecinski said. “We’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

The Griffins totaled 399 yards, with junior quarterback Braden Tischer throwing for 152 yards and two TDs. Olaleye ran for 83 yards and a TD while contributing three catches for 31 yards and another TD.

The turning point of the game against Crete-Monee (0-1) — which came in ranked No. 3 in Class 6A — was an interception by senior defensive back Jordan Braithwaite.

With the Griffins holding a 13-6 lead and the Warriors driving in the closing minutes of the first half, Braithwaite picked off the pass with 45 seconds left.

That fired up Lincoln-Way East for a four-play scoring drive, highlighted by Ryan Usher’s 41-yard catch.

“I saw the quarterback scrambling and I saw the receiver stop,” Braithwaite said of the interception. “I cut in front of him, caught it and ran to the sidelines like I was taught to do.”

Big play?

“It was a big play for us, no doubt about it,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “We scored. They answered back. We scored, and they were getting ready to answer back again.

“Jordan did a nice job stepping in front and making a play to get that ball.”

Senior quarterback Joshua Franklin, a Western Michigan recruit, completed 16 of 25 passes for 205 yards to lead Crete-Monee.

Franklin hooked up with Miami of Ohio-bound receiver Lynel Billups-Williams 10 times for 175 yards and a TD.

Crete-Monee coach John Konecki knew scheduling a powerhouse in Lincoln-Way East could result in a long night, but he believes it will help the Warriors.

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“We saw some flashes and saw some areas we need to improve on,” Konecki said. “The biggest thing is we want to play 14 games of football, and this was a good test to see where we are at.”

Zvonar said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Warriors played 14 games, meaning they would be vying for the state championship.

“That’s a powerhouse 6A program,” he said. “The only thing that is keeping them from beating a powerhouse 8A program is having a few extra kids in the school.”

Lincoln-Way East will need a little extra next Friday in playing Batavia, ranked No. 2 in Class 7A, in the home opener. The Griffins’ seniors have been playing together a long time.

“Most of us have played since first game with the Frankfort Falcons,” Kwiecinski said. “I played with all of these guys. A few of them came later.

“Winning a state championship is a goal we all wanted. Finally, we have a to try to do it.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.